Music: Sunrazor by Dean Cascione
Title: Here We Are: chapter 1 when it rains, you find an escape
Summary: Fighting and trying to hide the scars. He was home…but not completely.
Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto"
Theme: Post-canon
Prompt: Runnaway
Medium: Fanfiction
Rating: T
Warning(s): none
Comments: This is chapter one of my next multi-chapter fic. It won't be updated nearly as often as "Alone" is now and I'm going to wait to post the next chapter until my other stories are completed. And for your info, the whole story is inspired by the song Here We Are by Breaking Benjamin, while this particular chapter is inspired by When It Rains by Paramore. There are lyrics mixed in from both songs. Can you find them?Beta-read by Sakura's Unicorn. Thanks for being AWESOME!
when it rains, you find an escape
Sasuke's new eyes narrowed.
A woman stood before him, green eyes flashing with anger. Her pink hair was tied back and the red on her battle gear wasn't to accessorize—her hands were stained with blood and it intrigued him. She stood protectively in front of a fallen shinobi, a sword held in her tight grip. She didn't look like the Sakura he used to know. She was a stranger.
She glared at him for a moment before slowly kneeling beside her comrade. Setting aside her sword, she examined the wounds with the healing green light that emanated from her hands. Sasuke thought she seemed awfully sure that he wouldn't attack her. He didn't like such confidence in her…it didn't suit her.
He watched her work with morbid amusement. The fallen shinobi she was attempting to heal was certainly going to die. It was written all over Sakura's pale face. The way her brow furrowed. The way blood stained the lip she was biting too hard. The way frustrated tears filled her eyes. She knew she had arrived too late. He was amused by her frustration—by her vain attempts. He couldn't help but smirk when her head bowed in defeat.
Her scarlet hand rose to her face and wiped away the tears he couldn't see. When she stood, her movements were strong, so…unaffected by the death surrounding her. She was resilient. He found the situation rather strange. When she lifted her gaze to his, the blood had painted her cheeks like rouge. Oddly, he found her battle-worn appearance slightly…attractive. He recognized his twisted thinking and frowned.
"Why, Sasuke?" she yelled. "How could you do it? How could you just stand by while an ally is attacked?"
"Ally?" Sasuke chuckled. "Yours, not mine."
Sakura stalked toward him. "Need I remind you that you ran away from Madara? We gave you a home! We offered you protection!"
"And I'm to believe all of that's been done for my benefit?" Sasuke glared at her.
Sakura's jaw slackened as she searched deep into his eyes. "Yes," she said softly, conviction etched on her face.
He growled. "Liar. You're just using me like everyone else." He glared fiercely into her sparkling emerald eyes. "Just like Orochimaru, Madara...Itachi."
"Why would we do that?" Sakura asked incredulously.
"Because I'm good at what I do and your Allied Forces need leverage."
The inky clouds lit up with blue lightning and an echoing crash soon followed. Rain was suddenly released from the dark sky above, touching the earth with a dull plopping sound.
"Whether you believe it or not, we actually care about you." Sakura took a step closer to him. The blood on her face began to streak in the rain and loose strands of pink hair clung to her skin. "But what you've done…ignoring an ally that's being attacked…I don't know if Tsunade will overlook that. Do you know what kind of trouble you just got yourself into?"
Sasuke smirked. "No one has to know. I certainly don't intend on telling."
Sakura's nostrils flared. "I am not that same girl who would obey your every word."
He looked down his nose at her. "When did that change?"
Sakura's face flushed with anger. "You don't know who I am. You never did."
Sasuke's smirk disappeared as he glowered at her.
He hadn't seen Sakura or Naruto since his return to Konoha. They had been purposely kept away from each other by order of the Godaime. That she had been scouting the area where he and his…teammate…were attacked was purely coincidental. She had disposed of the enemy in a quick and efficient manner before promptly aiding the wounded. He truly didn't know anything about her…but that didn't stop him from resenting her words. It certainly didn't stop him from wanting to hurt her.
"I'm leaving."
"So you're just gonna run away again?" She stepped even closer to him and he could see drops of water clinging to her face. "Why are you so eager to betray us?"
His brows lowered and black fringe shadowed his eyes. He glared hatefully at her, but made no move to leave.
"It's always like this. When things get hard you run away like a coward. You're running away from those who love you—from everything!" She lowered her head and whispered, "You won't always find an escape."
"I'm leaving," he growled.
Sakura met his eyes with steel in her own. "Say it again and mean it, Sasuke." She snorted. "You're not leaving."
Water rolled off his eyelashes and into his eye. He blinked. Sakura was far too confident. A snarl appeared on his face and he raised a hand to strike her, but she didn't flinch. Her hand clutched his wet wrist only inches from her face. He hadn't seen her block coming. Her grip was strong, far too strong for a girl so small. Her eyes were narrowed and her jaw visibly clenched. He felt her fingernails dig into his arm for a second and then her hand relaxed. He pulled away from her and scowled.
She took a breath. "Goodbye," she said softly.
Turning on her heel, Sakura walked away in the direction she had come. Sasuke watched her and wondered why she was the one who was walking away. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. After so many years of her pursuing him, it just wasn't natural to watch her leave.
So…he didn't let her.
Though it felt so wrong to fall into step with her, he continued along her side. He would show her that he wasn't a coward. He would prove to her that he wasn't going to run away. She looked up at him, green eyes wary and a frown at her lips. He met her stare for a moment before looking ahead.
"Such a jerk," she said under her breath.
He glared at her from the corner of his eye.
"You know," she started without looking at him. "This is your own fault."
"What are you talking about?"
"You," she said forcefully as she turned toward him. "You came back, but only because you're still seeking revenge. You have this twisted view of justice. You even said it yourself, that you were willing to give yourself to the devil to get power for revenge." She paused and looked deep into his eyes as if searching for someone she could recognize. "You're like a snake. You find yourself a deep black hole and make yourself a bed at the bottom. Even when the sun comes out, you don't see it…maybe you don't want to."
Sasuke stared at her. "Isn't it enough for you that I'll be home tonight? Why do you have to harass me?"
Sakura's wet, blue lips tilted upward slightly. "If you're going to remain in Konoha and take the chances we've given you, there are a lot of broken pieces to pick up. Let go of your hate. Stop pushing everyone away and learn to trust again."
He looked at her strangely from behind his dripping, black locks. His brows were furrowed and suspicion lingered in his dark eyes. "You want me to turn everything around, reverse what I've done?"
Sakura hugged herself, rubbing her hands against her shivering arms. "I just want you to explain—"
"Explain what? You seem to already know everything about me," Sasuke replied icily.
She glanced at her mud-caked feet and sighed. "It hurts too much to keep hoping that you'll change. It hurts too much to keep giving and never get back." Her eyes found his face. "If you're not going to change, I need an ending—a real ending. Not just a vague thank-you before being left alone on a bench. I need to know why you can't change. That's all I ask." She turned away and her voice lowered. "I know you don't trust me so…take your time."
His eyes narrowed.
She turned forward again and continued walking. He walked a few paces behind her and looked onward distractedly. The chill of the rain was finally soaking down into his bones. He walked dourly and glanced up at Sakura. She looked tiny in her soaked cloths. Her hair was stringy and her skin had paled considerably. He smirked. For all the trouble she had caused him in only a matter of moments, he was almost pleased she was in such a miserable state. Almost.
He felt a small tug of guilt for being so bitter. And that's when he knew that Sakura was right. If he was going to stay, he had to start rebuilding the bridges he had burned. He didn't want to stay, but at the moment he had nowhere else to go.
Biting down his pride, Sasuke picked up his pace to catch up with the soaked girl. He pulled off his backpack and yanked out a rain cloak. He dropped the cloak onto her shoulders. Sakura's head turned toward him and he met her curiously large eyes.
"Camp is set up a mile northwest of here. It'll at least keep us out of the rain tonight."
Sakura looked up and a small smile blossomed on her pale face. "I think, maybe, we're going to make it, after all, Sasuke."
He glanced at her curiously. "We?"
"Yeah." She looked forward. "I think we'll be able to move past everything that's happened."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Annoying."