Title: Follow Me
Fandom: Naruto
Type: One-shot
Rated: PG13
Word Count: 3, 446
Summary: After he was brought back to life, he searched for his killer with the intention of making her his ultimate weapon. But, the minute he saw the tears in her eyes, he changed his mind. SasoSaku one-shot
A/N: I was busy looking through my thumb drive and I saw a folder that said, 'REJECTS.' When I opened it, I browsed through my ideas for a story that I have never completed or never had the courage to post. I stopped writing this idea on 24th November 2012—but when I read it, I thought, 'Hey! A few adjustments and I could make this story interesting!'
I edited it a bit—so, yeah, here it is. Enjoy.
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"Go away."
"Isn't that a girl's way to say, 'please don't leave'?"
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He looked at his hands. He wiggled his fingers.
He can't believe it.
"I'm human again…" He whispered to himself, completely surprised. His hazel eyes spotted the grinning blonde next to his bed. "Deidara, why am I alive, anyway?"
"That's not something you'll say, yeah!" The azure-eyed boy teased, his grin not disappearing from his handsome face, "Leader-sama needs you for the Akatsuki, that's why we brought you back. It actually worked!"
The red-head made a puzzled face (which was very un-Sasori like) that made the bomber laugh. "How is that even possible?"
The golden-haired boy shrugged. "Ask Kakuzu and Hidan, yeah. I don't know what they did to you, but it sure worked!" His grin reappeared, "Thank Pein, too! But I have no clue what his part was in bringing you back, yeah."
"It's good that I'm here," Sasori admitted, getting off the bed and heading toward the door, "I'm going to get a puppet. I'll be back in a while…hopefully, in two days. I have business to settle."
"Wait, where do you think you're going, yeah?!" Deidara jumped out of his chair, stopping his partner who was reaching for the door knob, "You need to rest, Sasori-danna! You just got back, and if you move around, Kakuzu's stiches might fall apart and you'll lose an arm, yeah! What do you even mean by 'business to settle'?!"
"How long has it been since I died?" The cofee-eyed boy asked calmly, ignoring the warning look his partner gave him. "I want to go look for that little girl who killed me. The old hag is dead. I'll kill her by midnight and leave. Is that hard to understand?"
"It's going to be three years, New Year 's Day is around the corner," The blonde replied, hesitating to let his partner leave. "I know you want revenge, but…" Silence fell upon them as the red-haired boy waited calmly for the bomber's answer. After a few minutes, the golden-haired boy sighed, "Fine, Sasori-danna. But if you get killed—again—you're not getting another chance."
"Understood. Tell Leader-sama I'm just doing him a favor," Sasori smirked, making the azure-eyed boy frown, "I want to test my skills—it's been awhile since I've last killed someone. Leader-sama will be delighted to have her head. Once someone kills an Akatsuki member, they are regarded as highly dangerous, no?"
"That's pretty cold of you, Sasori-danna," His best friend remarked, still frowning, "You gotta admit that the chick that killed you is pretty hot. Besides, she's a girl and two people worked with each other to take you down—your grandmother's dead, you know."
"Which makes the little girl much more vulnerable," The hazel-eyed boy said, turning around and walking out the door. "She's mine for the taking, Deidara. I want to kill her, not think about her in a perverted way, like you do."
As he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, Deidara retorted angrily, "Oi! I hope you die again, yeah!"
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A sharp gasp escaped her lips.
The bag she was hugging fell onto the dirty floor and the apples rolled out.
"Sasuke!" She exclaimed as her facial expression changed into that of surprise. The raven-haired boy turned to face her.
"What…are you doing with Ino?!" Sakura exclaimed, still too astonished to be sad or angry. The minute she turned to the alley for a shortcut to her home, she saw two figures that appeared to be in the middle of a lip-to-lip contact.
"S-Sakura, it's y-you…" The dark-haired boy sputtered, staggering away from the Yamanaka heir who was against the wall, "I-It's not what you think! We were—"
"Sasuke, I'm your girlfriend!" The pink-haired girl shouted, tears gathering in her pretty, emerald eyes, "Why are you making out with my best friend?!"
"Sakura's your girlfriend?!" Ino shouted next, her sweet voice was a mixture of anger, guilt and shock. Her icy-blue eyes glared at the Uchiha heir, "You told me you liked me, bastard! You kissed me! You playboy, I bet you wanna seduce Hinata next, huh?!"
Before the raven-haired boy could stammer an answer, Ino slapped him. Furious, she stomped away.
Sasuke was still dazed and he didn't realize Sakura walking towards him. As he was just getting his vision back, she punched him at his jaw, sending him flying a few meters away.
Sakura was enraged. She was sure that her (ex) boyfriend would pass out because of her hit. He knows that she doesn't slap like normal women do. Turning on her heel, she stomped past her apples and toward her home.
When she stepped into her apartment room, she slammed the door and leaned against it before falling to the floor, hugging her knees. "I should've known…Sasuke doesn't care for anyone! He only loves himself! He never loved me….he never will."
The more she thought about him, the more tears rolled down her cheeks.
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So follow me down (Where to?)
Outta this town (With you?)
Girl you movin way too slow
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"What amateurs," He remarked, kicking the head of the guard who laid unconscious on the ground. He had knocked both of them down without breaking a sweat. "This is ridiculous. Why isn't the village gate heavily guarded at night? Is it because most of the Akatsuki members are dead?"
He entered the Hidden Leaf village, jumping soundlessly onto the rooftop of a nearby house. He searched the village, looking for anything that could give him a sign of where his killer lived. Suddenly, he eyed a small building.
"That little girl…she must be living alone by now," Sasori whispered to himself, leaping from rooftop to rooftop as he headed towards the small building. "Maybe she rented an apartment."
After 20 minutes of searching the building, he had yet to find her. He reached upon the last few rooms of the structure, stopping at the closest door. Skillfully, he unlocked it and entered the space, only to see that the whole place was dark with not one light on, but was furnished and nicely decorated.
"Strange…maybe the owners are gone for a while," Sasori concluded. He was about to leave until his brown eyes spotted a door. He paused, closed the entrance quietly, and creeped up to the other door. He stayed silent to hear if there were any other people in the room.
Although he didn't hear a conversation or any movement, he entered anyway. He examined the room as he stood by the entrance. After a few minutes, he was going to leave, but he noticed that the balcony door was open.
He cautiously walked toward the balcony. The sliding glass doors were open, and the curtains inside the room were flying because of the strong wind. As the red-head got closer, he noticed someone staring at the moon.
And there she was. Her beautiful, pale-green eyes glimmered in the moonlight as it added to the beauty of her pale skin. The breeze was playing with her soft, short, pastel-pink hair and she was just standing there, leaning forward against the balcony and watching the night sky.
Sasori was speechless. She looked so different from the last time he saw her.
She was beautiful.
It was a pity she had to die, though. Taking off his cloak and tossing it onto the bed, he approached her calmly, making sure that he was noticed. He smirked when she didn't consider him, 'She's as confident as always. That little girl may change in looks, but never changes in heart.'
He stood next to her, held her shoulder and bent down. "Hello there," He whispered, his breath was hot on the Haruno heir's ear, "How would you like to die, my pretty?"
There was a short silence until she replied calmly and softly, without looking at him. "I prefer the kunai."
The puppeteer was amused by how stoic she was. He reached for a kunai in his pouch, his arm slipped across her waist pulling her closer to him. The coffee-eyed boy pressed his lips against her ear, "Any last words, beautiful?"
He rested his chin on her shoulder, unconsciously noting how tall has grown. He waited for her to speak and finally, these words came out: "Fuck you, Sasuke."
Sasori froze, slightly surprised by what the pinkette had said. He heard that the legendary Sasuke Uchiha had indeed returned and he knew that the boy who nearly killed his partner had a lot of admirers. Maybe Sakura was one of them?
"What are you waiting for?" She asked softly with a quaver in her voice. As she waited for Sasori's answer, she inhaled unsteadily. She let out a shuddering sigh and Sasori thought that it was strange that she didn't seem scared.
"Why are you crying?" He asked in a whisper, his voice was surprised and curious. His kunai was hovered away from her neck, and the arm around her waist turned her around. His hazel eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw tears streaming out of her emerald orbs.
He held her chin, lifting her face up with his right hand and dropping the kunai in the other. He gazed into her exotic green eyes as he tried reading her facial expression. "What's wrong?" He asked, trying hard to sound normal. But was that a hint of worry in his eyes?
Initially, she was startled. After a few minutes of looking surprised, she cut off their gaze and swatted his hand away from her chin. "Didn't you say you wanted to kill me?" Sasori barely heard her. He continued looking at her as he tightened his grip on her shoulders.
After a few minutes that seemes like hours, Sakura took in a deep breath and built up some courage to face the man she thought she killed. She looked up at him with a cross look on her face, "Why should you care? I'm giving you the chance to take my life away! Why won't you do this one favor that will benefit the both of us?" A lone tear ran down her cheek, "It's not like you'll understand, anyway."
"I would never kill beautiful girls who cry because they are heartbroken," Sasori conceded, and when the beauty did not bother to look at him, he clamped a hand on her shoulder, "I prefer to make them smile before I slit their throats, because the look on someone's face before they pass away is memorable. Especially girls who possess beauty that is worthy of becoming one of my puppets."
"I am not flattered in any way," The pinkette hissed, glaring at him. She walked into her room and sat on the bed as the red-haired man followed. "I accept your offer, though. I would like to remember how it feels like to smile before I leave this world."
"I admire those who know no fear," He smirked, putting his cloak back on. He held a hand out to the depressed kunoichi, his face hidden by the black shroud, "Follow me, girl. I'll bring you to a place that's bound to brighten you up."
Sakura narrowed her eyes at his hand and considered his invitation. Is it worth dying just because the love of her life cheated on her? If she were to die, it may cast a feeling of great guilt on Sasuke—and he might blame himself for what has happened to her for the rest of his days. Yes, she would like that very much.
She hesitatingly took his hand, where Sasori carried her on his back. Putting on his hat, he walked out to the balcony with the pinkette on him, bracing herself. "After I leave, will you put my body back here?"
The Akatsuki member took off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and stopping on the village gates. "My apologies, but I wish to make you a dangerous yet beautiful weapon of mine."
She frowned, knowing that if her body wasn't found, then maybe people would think she ran away like a heartbroken bitch. She was upset, but there was no turning back at this point. "Then, promise me this—if you were to ever ambush the Leaf Village, don't use me as one of your puppets."
They moved rapidly through the forest. Sasori wanted the whole of the Hidden Leaf to know that their precious, Cherry Blossom sweetheart was dead and under his control. However, he nodded reluctantly. "Very well."
Sakura was impressed by Sasori's speed—he was a very fast man. Within half an hour, the two approached a cliff and from there, a village could be seen. The pinkette got off of him and walked towards the edge, examining the village nearby.
The village's residents were wearing fancy clothing and they have gathered at the center of their town. The buildings were decorated with colourful lights and everybody was having an enjoyable time.
"What's happening there? New Year's Day isn't due until next week," Sakura raised an eyebrow at Sasori, who had already taken off his hat and cloak.
"Their Leader's daughter's birthday celebration is tonight," He informed, finding a cozy spot on the grass.
"Well, that's a grand party," The pinkette rolled her eyes.
Sakura watched the villagers' happiness as she stood there with her arms folded. She neglected the option to sit down on the grass as she was too engrossed in reminiscing the days when she was delighted with Sasuke's return. She recalled the festival that was held to celebrate his comeback—it was indeed a memorable day.
"Won't you sit down?" Sasori raised his eyebrow, looking up at her. When she did not react or reply, he asked, "Well, would you at least tell me what caused your sadness?"
After a few minutes of hesitation, Sakura replied, "I do not expect someone like you to understand."
"Sometimes, all you need is to let it all out," He persuaded, a smirk playing across his face, "You could tell me—I don't mind. After all, you've only got 15 minutes to live. You don't want to die feeling troubled and heartbroken, do you?"
"It's a girl thing," She sighed, sitting down on the grass as well. After a few minutes, she turned to face him, "Besides, won't you get irritated to hear me whine about such petty things?"
"Petty?" Sasori repeated, "You were crying because of something that is unimportant?"
"Sasuke Uchiha," Sakura interrupted the puppeteer, "Even after all this time, even after all those years, he never really cared for me. It hurts to know that I was just his toy to play with. And I'm even angrier to consider how stupid I was that I realize all of this now."
"Well, you should consider yourself an imbecile," The red-head scoffed, "A life is something important, girl—but you're planning to throw it away just like that over a boy. There are plenty of fish in the sea, as you girls may say. You are a fine, confident woman—you should've realized that many others have feelings for you."
Sakura fell silent as she felt a sharp pang of frustration. Sasori continued, "Unfortunately, there is no turning away now—you are at the mercy of an Akatsuki member, you surely won't make it out here a—"
"Shut up!" Sakura shouted, interrupting him. "I already told you that you wouldn't understand! You never will! All of you criminals are heartless! I thought I would feel better before you will slit my throat! You just made me feel worse, bastard!"
Sasori stared at her wide-eyed. She was shouting in his face—her face was so close to his. The tears were gathering in her pale-green eyes as she shouted. As she got back into her original position on the ground, she was wiping tears off of her face.
"You're just a puppet, anyway," She mumbled, releasing a shuddering sigh, "Dolls don't have feelings!" He watched her cry, wondering what he should do.
As Sakura sobbed, she suddenly felt arms wrap around her. She lifted her face from her forearm and turned to see Sasori's chin resting on her shoulder. "My apologies," He whispered, "But I have been resurrected—I am purely human."
He sensed that her breathing was steady and that her sobbing had stopped. Sasori felt her lean against him, accepting his warm embrace as they continued watching the festival. After a while, as Sakura was about to fall into a slumber, there was a loud cheer from the village that broke the silence and startled the both of them.
Colourful fireworks were dancing in the sky. Each and every one was simply magnificent and awe-inspiring, replacing the frown on Sakura's face with a large smile. She sat up straight, breaking free from Sasori's clasp and scooted forward. The wind blew and played with her hair as she adored the beautiful sight.
The hazel-eyed boy felt his lips curved into a smile when he saw the pinkette's ecstasy. He remembered why he brought her there in the first place and reached for a kunai. Getting up, Sasori snuck up to the girl from behind and kneeled, holding his weapon up high. Sakura was too enthralled with enjoying the fireworks show that she did not realize him.
But, he found it hard to stab the beauty.
He dropped the kunai and sat with his legs crossed behind Sakura. He was frustrated—why couldn't he kill her? Why did he feel so heavy-hearted when he held the kunai up?
As he stared at the grass with an exasperated look on his face, Sakura turned around to look at him. She put a hand on his arm, making him look up. "What's wrong? Why aren't you enjoying this?" She asked, but her smile was still plastered on her face.
Sasori did not reply. He was attracted to her exotic, emerald orbs. She was very beautiful—the smiles on her face, the wind playing with her hair, the fireworks in the dark blue sky—all of this added to her beauty.
He unconsciously held her chin and kept their gaze. Sakura's smile disappeared and her eyes hovered down to his lips before it stared back into his hazel eyes. For a few moments, Sasori was hesitant to lean towards her but became confident when Sakura leaned forward.
The moment their lips connected, he felt so different and strange. He felt Sakura's arms wrap around him and they both fell onto the grass. Their kiss was tender and slow, but it was continuous. After a few minutes, their kiss broke off.
They gazed into each other's eyes for a while. The fireworks show ended a few seconds later and they could hear the loud applause from the villagers below them. Silence was all that was heard between the two ninjas.
"W-What was your name again?" Sasori asked in a whisper, realizing how foolish it was of him to not know her name.
"It's Sakura," She muttered as the red-haired boy cupped her cheek, causing her to giggle nervously.
Sasori smiled at her, glancing down at her lips as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He returned his gaze into her eyes. "S-Sakura…"
Sakura's pink lips curved into a smile and she chuckled. Once again, Sasori was stunned by her exquisiteness.
She was beautiful.
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So follow me down (Which way?)
I'll show you around (Okay)
There's a place we gotta go
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A/N: Sorry if there were any errors in the story, I'm too lazy to re-read it, but I'm sure that it's fine except for just a few mistakes. Yeah, lame ending, I know. What inspired me to write this story was the song, 'Follow Me Down' by 3oh!3.
OK, hope you enjoyed that. Please review!