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—
"I don't understand!" Sasuke growled as he clutched his hand, searing pain shooting through his burned arm.
Since leaving Konoha some years ago, his lessons with Orochimaru had been going quite well.
Mostly.
Recently, Sasuke's dark sensei had been attempting to teach him a strong, new jutsu, but for some reason, every time Sasuke tried to practice it, it backfired.
His hand and arm ended up being painfully burned, as if something were stopping him from learning the new skill, from moving forward.
As Sasuke crouched, gritting his teeth from both pain and frustration, Orochimaru eyed his star pupil closely.
"Hmm…" The snake sannin purred in thought. "I think you should…...pause for a bit, Sasuke. For introspection."
Sasuke growled as he looked up at Orochimaru. "What are you talking about?"
"It's either in your mind…...or your heart….." Orochimaru scowled. "But something is prohibiting you…..That's why you can't complete the jutsu. That's why you can't move forward."
"I don't have time for 'introspection'!" Sasuke snarled.
No, all these years, the Uchiha heir had been in quite a rush to become as powerful as possible so he could take revenge on his brother, Itachi.
Sasuke believed that was his only desire.
Truthfully, Orochimaru had hoped so, but with this….this new development….
The snake sannin was beginning to have doubts.
Perhaps Sasuke was not what Orochimaru was looking for after all?
Hmm…...
First, though, before Orochimaru jumped to conclusions, he needed Sasuke to examine himself and find the true cause.
Sasuke was stubborn.
He would need a push.
Orochimaru turned on his heel and began to walk back towards his newest hideout. "Oh dear…...what a shame. I thought you were different, Sasuke. I see now that you are as simple and as close-minded as everyone else. If you refuse to help yourself advance, you cannot possibly acquire the power to defeat Itachi. What a waste of talents like yours…"
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Orochimaru was leaving….
He was going to leave Sasuke!
How would he ever defeat Itachi without…?!
"Wait!" Sasuke gasped loudly, still clutching his arm.
Orochimaru stopped.
The sannin did not turn around, but he did smirk to himself since Sasuke could not see his face.
"Fine! I'll do it!" Sasuke cried, mumbling under his breath as he added. "Whatever I'm supposed to do….."
Sasuke was amazed to find that even though he was now a considerable distance away, Orochimaru had heard everything he had said. "Ah~, excellent then…...Go wherever you need to go Sasuke, the forest, the river, the ocean, wherever. Ask yourself, what ties do you have that block the power you so desperately crave, hmm? Some unforgotten friendship, perhaps? Or maybe….." Orochimaru turned around to grin teasingly as he spoke. "An abandoned love?"
"I don't love anyone!" Sasuke sneered. "And I don't have any friends! Not anymore….."
Orochimaru sniffed and turned back to his walk.
Orochimaru's words floated through the air, into Sasuke's ears as he spoke, making Sasuke grimace, "Clearly, Sasuke, you're lying~..."
Sasuke growled in irritation.
He wasn't lying!
Love and friendship?
Ha!
—
Fine.
Sasuke would search.
To prove his honesty, under his sensei's guidance, Sasuke began to wander off.
When he found nothing, he could return and force Orochimaru to find another way to teach him.
Sasuke crossed the river.
He picked his way through the forest.
It was evening by the time the Uchiha heir arrived outside the gates of Konoha.
The sun had just set and the moon was slowly rising in the sky.
Sasuke scowled as he silently walked into the village, as easily as a shadow.
Sasuke meandered through the empty streets, turning his face away from Ichiraku's ramen shop.
That was….
That had always been Naruto's favorite restaurant.
Sasuke just narrowed his eyes and moved on.
So what?
What did he care about Naruto's favorite places?
What did he care about Naruto?
He didn't care…...
As that hateful thought passed through Sasuke's mind, he flinched as the burn on his arm throbbed with pain.
Sasuke grit his teeth in annoyance.
He paused for a moment…
Was that it then?
Was that what the block was?
Had some part of him still held onto his friendship with Naruto?
Or….
Sasuke squinted up at the building he now found himself standing directly in front of.
This was….
This was where Sakura lived, or at least…... it used to be.
He was sure a lot had changed over the years, she may have moved.
As his burn stung with pain again, Sasuke clamped his hand over his arm before he stealthily began to climb a tree beside the tall building.
Maybe looking out over the village would give him a better idea of what or who he should be focusing on.
Arm out…
Leg out…..
Grip.
Pull.
Limb by limb, Sasuke began to make his way up the tree.
Until he found himself stopping suddenly….
Light poured from a window onto a tree limb, falling over Sasuke.
The window was closed but the blinds were open.
The pain in Sasuke's burn settled down to a low, constant smoulder and maybe it was that, or something else, something inside Sasuke that made him turn his head and look into the window…
Sasuke's narrowed onyx eyes widened.
"Sa….ku…...ra…" Sasuke said softly, in surprise.
Yes, apparently, not everything had changed with the passing years.
Sakura still lived there, in that building.
Through the window, Sasuke saw her, Sakura, walking around in her red nightgown, talking on the phone.
The smoulder in Sasuke's burn ebbed away for a moment as he suddenly found himself feeling spacey, disoriented.
He was focused on looking at Sakura.
His eyes scanned over her pink strands of hair, vibrant and full.
It had grown longer…
Sakura's face was as soft and peaceful as ever.
Sasuke watched her emerald green eyes light up as she smiled and laughed with whoever she was talking to on the phone.
Sasuke's scowl suddenly found its way back to his face and his burn scorched with pain again.
For a moment, his thoughts flashed back to the day he had left Konoha….
Sasuke remembered Sakura's desperate pleas, her tears of despair at losing him, her mournful declaration of love…
Pathetic.
It was pathetic.
Like Sasuke could ever care about someone so….
Annoying.
Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts as the pain doubled in the burn on his arm.
He glanced down at his wound and furrowed his brow.
No, no way.
But….
Still…...
He noticed that he was….angry, in the tree, watching Sakura.
Why?
Was it because she seemed so happy?
Was it because he wanted to be happy too?
…..Somewhere deep inside?
That anger…
Was it a little bit of jealousy?
Could Sasuke be jealous that Sakura had found a way to be….happy….without him?
Sasuke snarled as he watched Sakura sit the phone down on the receiver when her conversation ended.
He saw her stretch and climb into bed.
The pinkette cuddled under the covers.
The Uchiha heir kept his eyes on her, watching silently.
Sasuke waited until she fell asleep.
He gnashed his teeth at the pleasant smile on her face.
Carefully but forcefully, Sasuke opened Sakura's window.
A few loose cherry blossoms blew into the room with Sasuke as he entered silently.
Sasuke crept over and gracefully perched himself on Sakura's bed, looking down at her as she slept.
Sakura moved gently in her sleep, blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked at the foot of her bed.
Sasuke watched Sakura's body undulate under the sheets as she stirred…...
He noticed his burn seemed to feel a little better….
He decided to experiment.
Silently, Sasuke crept closer and closer, until he was lying on top of the covers directly beside Sakura.
There was only a little tingle left in his arm now…..
Slowly, gently, he reached out a hand…..
Sasuke gently laid his hand on Sakura's exposed shoulder.
Onyx eyes widened.
The pain ceased completely.
Sasuke removed his hand.
The tingling returned…
Sasuke stood and walked back to the window.
The pain in his injured arm came on full force again.
Sasuke hissed in frustration.
What did this mean?!
It was impossible for Sakura to be the block!
Someone as useless as her standing in the way of the power he so coveted?!
Sasuke smirked in the darkness.
Heh.
No…surely not….but there had to be some reason the pain stopped around Sakura.
Maybe she knew something he didn't…..
Sasuke had heard rumors that Sakura had been trained as a medical nin…..
Sasuke turned to look at the pinkette once more.
Useless.
Slowly, an idea bloomed in Sasuke's mind….
Useful…..
Perhaps Sakura could help him be able to learn this new jutsu and advance towards his ultimate goal.
Sasuke took a few ominous steps back towards Sakura's bed.
Years ago, she had said she'd do anything she could to help him get his revenge…..
Sasuke smirked.
Surely, then, Sakura wouldn't mind…...if Sasuke just….borrowed her, for a while.
—
The moon was high and the hour was late as Sasuke carried the still-sleeping Sakura out of Konoha, into the forest, and across the river…..
Sakura slept on even when Sasuke knocked on the door of Orochimaru's current hideout.
The snake sannin himself answered with a grin, glancing down at the unconscious woman in Sasuke's arms,"Oh? Did you find a pet while you were gone, Sasuke?"
Sasuke made a noise of disgust. "Tch, no. But I may have found an answer. I need to borrow a room."
Orochimaru opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Sasuke to enter the dark, foreboding place with Sakura in his arms. "Anything for my favorite student. Just don't make a mess."
As Orochimaru said that, Sasuke felt a surge of unexplainable rage shooting through his body while pain gripped his burned arm.
Why?!
Sasuke glared down at Sakura as he carried her down the hallway.
Sasuke didn't know why this was happening…
Sasuke didn't know what he would have to do to find out…
But Sasuke did know one thing, even after all these years, Sakura was still so annoying.