Title: Innocence Lost
Author: Rosekk2000
Fandom: Naruto
Rated: PG/(K)
Pairing: Sakura/Sasuke, Sakura/Naruto Hinted at only
Summary: Sakura has an eye opening visit from an unknown stranger.
Authors Note: Kannon-Bosatu (AKA: Kannon, Kanzeon, and Kwannon) is so I'm told a
Japanese Goddess of Compassion and Mercy.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never was never will be.
Sakura stood silently on the hilltop watching every move Sasuke made. Noting
without fail the ripple of each muscle as he moved through the graceful dance of his
training. She delighted in the gentle glistening of sweat on the smooth flesh of his bare
upper torso and sighed.
"He is a beautiful boy… is he not?" a soft lilting voice asked from behind her
causing her to start.
"I wasn't spying!" Sakura blurted out just a little to quickly to be convincing as
she turned toward the speaker "I was just walking by and…" her words of protest faded
from her lips as her eyes fell upon the woman that had come up behind her.
Long silver hair flowed like a thing alive along the entire length of the woman's
petite frame, huge lilac eyes stared out from a soft heart shaped face somehow emphazing
the shifting lilac hues of her gown as it seemingly draped itself around the woman every
curve. Sakura couldn't help but gasp never had see seen anyone so beautiful.
"Do… Do I know you?" she managed to stammer out.
The woman laughed and it was the soft sweet sound of chimes tinkling in the
wind. "Perhaps…perhaps not but what is certain Sakura-Chan is that I know you."
"What? How?" Sakura asked brushing nervously at a stray strand of wild pink
hair.
"I know many who do not recognize me… Still it is not me I have come here to
discuss Sakura-Chan it is you."
"ME!!!"
"Indeed…you." The woman replied amusement clear in her tone even as her eyes
found their way back to the training field below and the dark haired boy upon it. She
watched silently for a moment as he moved through each step flawlessly. She sighed her
expression changing to show a hidden sadness she felt deep within. "You would do well
to look to blonder, more blue eyed pastures." She finally whispered in that same soft
lilting tone.
Sakura looked toward Sasuke trying to see whatever it was that this stranger saw
and shook her head "Naruto? Are you saying I should…" Sakura paused hating to admit
the conflict these thoughts filled her with "I should like Naruto?" she finished her voice
coming out a little to much like a squawk to confidently convey the less than heart felt
disgust she once could have mustered all to easily.
The woman smiled but it held no joy. "Even I am not blind to Sasuke' beauty,
but beauty is a fleeting thing… smoke in the wind. One must look beneath the surface to
see that which truly lies within."
"What are you trying to say?" Sakura exclaimed "What… you think Sasuke is
evil?" she finished her eye wide, anger boiling up within the pit of her stomach. 'How
dare this woman. This… this stranger speak poorly of her teammate… of Sasuke.'
"Evil?" the woman repeated softly as if rolling the words meaning through her
mind "No… no one is inherently evil Sukura. It is the path that we chose for ourselves
that make us what we become and it is no secret that Sasuke has chosen a very dark path
indeed. Dark and cruel… chose him Sakura-Chan and you chose that path as well, that is
assuming he will even have you of course."
"He will... I can…" Saruka could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes "His
brother killed their entire family, their entire clan. He has a right…" she almost shouted
the words.
"A right to what Sakura? Revenge? More death and sorrow?" the woman spit
back darkness within her own eyes. She paused and let out a great sigh, her eyes softened
once more "Do not cry Sakura-Chan, it was not my intention to cause you pain. Rather I
seek to save you from it." She said softly
She reached out one delicate hand, tentatively taking Sakuras within her own. "I
would have you know the truth of things. Sasuke has chosen a life of revenge and death.
Surely you realize that is in truth no life at all."
"But…" Sakura tried to interject but the woman stopped her with one slender
finger pressed to her lips.
"Hush Sakura-Chan, look with my eyes and see." She whispered softly and see
Sakura did.
Sakura let her gaze follow the woman's to the training field below and to the
graceful form of Sasuke as he continued with his training exercises. Thick bluish/black
hair clung in wet clumps to his forehead; sweat gleamed on smooth skin as it rippled with
the movement of each muscle. But there was something else; at first she could only make
out a small glimmer, a tinkle of light if you will.
She looked harder and realized that what she was seeing was the flow of Sasuke'
chakra as it moved through his body. He fairly glowed with it, so strong and bright. It
was a soft blue, pure and clean, almost… but there was something else there, a tendril of
darkness snaking its way deep within the flow. Slowly her eyes traced the dark tendril
back to its source and there in the very center, the core of Sasuke' chakra was a small
black pebble of darkness.
Sakura pulled her hand back, and fell to the ground trembling all over, tears
flooded from her eyes. "NO!!! It's not true… I can save him." She cried softly
The stranger sank to the ground beside Sakura and wrapped one protective arm
across her shoulder. "You can try… In fact I hope you do. But this one has already
started down the path and is unlikely to turn back before the darkness claims him. He
will fail to see the end results of what he is doing until it is far too late. Evil? No evil is
not the right word to use here Sakura-Chan. He is lost, he hides from caring and pushes
others away. He is devoid of the caring you seek to raise from him because he allows
darker emotions to rule him. You can only let him walk the path and perhaps someday
you will get the chance to pull what is left from the ashes of his ruin, but to walk his path
with him would mean your destruction. You will turn to Naruto or you will not, perhaps
you will go ahead and walk the path of darkness with Sasuke… that is for you decide. I
seek only to offer advice. Do as you will, but before you chose to ignore my warning go
to him and look into his eyes perhaps what you find there will show you what I cannot."
Anger born of fear welled up within the pink haired girl chest, tears streamed
down soft round cheeks 'She is crazy… none of this can be true. He would never…'
Sakura let the thought fade uncompleted afraid of where her own mind might take her.
Stubbornly she jerked away from the stranger and jumped to her feet. "You're wrong…
Sasuke is good. I know it. I feel it. He is." She argued
The woman simply shook her head "Look into his eyes Sakura-Chan and then look to
your heart it will not steer you wrong."
"Ok, I will. I'll prove you wrong." She snapped and turned to run down the
hillside toward the boy below.
The woman stood and watched her as she ran down the hill in an indignant rage
and wished just this once she could be wrong. She watched as Sakura looked deep into
Sasuke's eyes and even from her place on the hilltop she could see something die within
the pink haired girls heart. Then Kannon-Bosatsu shed a single tear for the innocence
lost this day.