Remember?, a naruto fanfic

Remember?

Team Seven, angst, Alternate Universe/ CyberPunk

"Hey, Sasuke, there's some chick asleep upstairs. That or dead, I didn't check." When Suigetsu came downstairs and said this, time seemed to freeze as the rest of Team Hebi watched for Sasuke's reaction. They knew he was pissed, but the only indication was a small downward quirk of his lips as he tensed.

They'd come back to Konoha to hide from Orochimaru and his watchful servants not an hour ago, only to find the entire village in ruins. The only places that still stood were along the edge where the village wasn't breeched, including the Uchiha Compound. For once, Sasuke was glad for being so far from the town centre, and they had quickly taken refuge inside his old home.

Now, having formally been making tea, Sasuke stood and walked past Suigetsu and up the stairs, intent on finding out exactly why this girl was in his home. Oddly enough he sensed her chakra in the guest room, rather than one of the other, largely furnished rooms. Placing a hand on Kusanagi warily, he slid open the door and for a moment, shock crossed his face. "Sakura?" he murmured quietly to the woman sleeping in the bed. How had he not sensed her before?

"Told you- hey, she's kind of pretty." Suigetsu peered over his shoulder curiously, and Sasuke gave him an exasperated look. "Hey, I calls 'em like I sees 'em."

Sasuke stepped in the room quietly, motioning for Suigetsu to be quiet, and stood next to the bed, staring down at his former teammate in concealed amazement. He couldn't believe, after all these years, she was still alive- she'd heard rumors she was dead, along with Kakashi and Naruto. Surely, this couldn't be Haruno Sakura, his ex-friend and teammate?

This close, he could now see the bags under her eyes. They were prominent against her sickly pale skin, and he felt tired for her. Her features had sharpened with age since they'd last met, and now they were sharper still, making him think she didn't eat very well. Her hair was short; it was damp against her forehead and neck, and he realized with narrowed eyes that she was sick. "Suigetsu, go downstairs," Sasuke muttered darkly, and Suigetsu obeyed without a second though, closing the door behind him. Alone, Sasuke kneeled next to the bed, hesitantly reaching out to wipe the lock of hair hanging in front of her eyes.

Eyes that flickered open as soon as their skin made contact. Sasuke ignored the shiver running up his spine as she stared up at him dully, green eyes faded wearily. "Sasuke-kun?" she whispered, and her voice was hoarse from lack of use.

Suddenly Sasuke found himself very self-conscious, but he tried not to show it as he nodded. "Sakura…" he hissed, "…what happened to you?"

Her eyelids drooped as if no force in the world could keep them open and she reached out to touch his cheek. "You…you need to leave. It hurts…to see you...here." Her hand dropped to the side table, and he watched as she opened a phone with shaking fingers and pressed a button. "I need…more. Its back," she sighed into the phone and closed it without waiting for an answer.

"Sakura," Sasuke took her hand, then immediately let go as if burned. She was burning up, in a literal sense. "Sakura, listen to me. Who was that? What happened here?" He waited a minute than shook her lightly. "Sakura, answer me!"

"You," she frowned, eyes closed again, "you left. Akatsuki attacked…got Naruto…"

Dread settled in his stomach. "They got Naruto?" he whispered. So she was alone? "Then who were you talking to just now?"

"Me." A new voice growled, and Sasuke turned to face the window. Naruto glared back evenly, and Sasuke blinked, hardly concealing his surprise.

"Naruto?"

Said blond jump down from the window sill and walked over, sitting on the bed and pulling Sakura's arm out from under the blanket. She squirmed at his touch in panic, and he softened, petting her hair. "Sakura, it's me. It's Naruto." She relaxed after a moment and Sasuke stood back to watch Naruto wrap a tourniquet securely around her bicep. "If you're wondering," he muttered to break the silence as he worked, "they couldn't keep me under control. The Akatsuki, I mean. Kyuubi managed to take over and saved my life. I got out, but now Kyuubi has a larger control of my body."

Now that he said it, Sasuke could tell. He took a closer look at Naruto, who was now injecting a type of serum in Sakura's arm at the juncture of her elbow. His hair was more wild, if possible, and a tamer golden than before; his eyes were permanent red, but the slits that resembled Kyuubi's were absent; his fingernails were long and sharp, and Sasuke noticed the way he tried not to scratch Sakura in the process of removing the tourniquet. "What was that?" he questioned, nodding the empty syringe.

Naruto didn't turn; instead he pushed Sakura's hair behind her ear tenderly, eyes sad. "It was something that Tsunade came up with before she died. Something that makes Sakura calm down before she has a panic attack. She gets them every one in a while. Once she stopped breathing."

"Why does she get them?" he couldn't hold back his curiosity. Naruto turned to look at him, and his glare was prominent.

"Because she'll think of you." He hissed, making Sasuke's eyes widen slightly. "Because she'll remember how you left us for that stupid snake bastard, because she'll remember when you knocked her out and left her on that damned bench, because she'll remember how much she loved you, and you just brushed her off as fucking annoying! Do you remember all that, Sasuke? Do you? Because we do! We remember every time we look at that damned crest of yours, or when we think of Kakashi, who died protecting this village from Orochimaru's follow up attack after the Akatsuki while I was gone! We remember everything."

It was quiet for a long time besides Sakura's soft breathing as she slept and Naruto's pained gasps for breath. Sasuke stared at him, then past him to watch Sakura, and then he turned towards the door without a word. Just as he stepped through, he heard it.

"That's right, Sasuke, run away again. No one blames you for being a coward."

And pretending he didn't hear, the door closed behind him.

"We're leaving." Sasuke announced darkly as he entered the kitchen a minute later. He grabbed the bag sitting on the ground at the door and stalked out, not waiting for his team to catch up. His fists were clenched at his sides and his eyes flashed red as he swallowed thickly. He knew it would be smarter to stay in what was left of Konoha, but he couldn't. He had to get away.

And at the same time, he was hating the part of him that wanted to go back to Naruto and fall to his knees and apologize. He would never do that, because there was no one to apologize to. What had been his team – his friends - was a mere fragment of his past.

And though it killed him to admit it, he knew Naruto was right. He was a coward. That's why he was running away again, and nothing was going to change his mind.

It was too late now.

Yeah, obviously, this is AU. I hardly know what it is, either. It just popped into my head.

Comments would be love. :)