Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 1: Haruno Mebuki
Of all the people, Uchiha Sasuke had never expected to meet her.
"My daughter is dead because of you. What will you do now?"
Before him stood a middle aged woman with caramel-coloured hair, its ends abruptly stopping on her shoulders. On closer observation, however, this woman held his eyes with determination – the same determination of a certain kunoichi he used to know. As they gazed into each others' eyes, the silence lingered on, and then suddenly stopped.
"They told me it was unnecessary to tell you my identity, but it seems like you've already figured it out." Uchiha Sasuke stared on, silent, as the woman spoke up. "I'm Haruno Mebuki. And you, Uchiha Sasuke, haven't answered my question yet."
Even if Sasuke had an answer, he wouldn't give it away, but currently, he didn't have an answer at all.
'My daughter is dead because of you.'
A flash of pink flickered in his mind, but he chased it away.
'…dead because of you.'
Persistently, the pink appeared again, so he forced his eyes to observe Haruno Mebuki instead. The sharp, yet caring eyes, a small, thin mouth…
'because of you.'
Haruno Sakura looked very much like her mother, he realized for the first time – not that he's met his parents before.
'because. of. you.'
The words played out incessantly in his mind, and when Sasuke finally broke free from an image of a dead, pink-haired girl, he found himself alone in his cell.
A traitor had to be pushed through a barrage of questions, investigations, medical tests, threats, and torture – yes, torture wasn't an exception and Uchiha Sasuke was a traitor. A traitor foolish enough to come back to the village he had betrayed…
Why he had come back, he couldn't remember. After his revenge on Itachi though, his mind had undergone a thick fog, which, when thinned out, showed Sasuke the gates of Konoha before his mind hazed out again.
Even now, it was the same. Footsteps, torture, questions, threats… he heard them all – probably responded to some as well – yet his mind felt like it was pushing its way through jelly – the number of passed days were quickly forgotten.
Other than the investigators and the torturers, after his first guest - Haruno Mebuki - came the second guest: the Hokage herself.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Slowly, Sasuke pried his eyes open and saw a pale, blonde woman across him.
"Investigations are over." 'Which also means torture.' Sasuke vaguely noted. "And you are to meet Haruno Mebuki in two hours. I suggest you go clean up to make yourself presentable before that time."
a/n: Haruno Mebuki is Sakura's mother, in case that wasn't clear.