A Regret Message
1st Chapter: Experiences
Team 7 was in the middle of another escort mission without Kakashi. They were taking an elder jonin couple from their village, the Land of Mountains, to Konoha. They were going there to give medicine and herbs to Tsunade. With them being very old, Tsunade wanted to make sure they were protected. Kakashi, had been called to an emergency meeting of jonin right as the mission started and left them to it, stating that he'll come to see them after the mission.
Though the couple occasionally chatted once in a while, the trio of genin didn't say a word. The elder mates asked them questions once in a while but it went right back to silence. Even Naruto was very quiet for once, not even saying how boring or lame the mission was. It was surprising but no one was complaining.
Finally ending the ever long silence, the old woman looked back at them. "Are you three alright? You've haven't said a word since we left your village. Is something troubling you?" She questioned worried about them noticing they didn't speak unless spoken too.
"It's nothing, Ma'am, just..." Sakura was about to give the reason when all of their stomachs growled loudly making all three of them flinch. The two seniors gave them each a look of concern. Sakura went red with embarrassment. "Kakashi-Sensei made us skip breakfast and lunch..."
The aged man gave them a look of confusion. "Now why would he do that?"
The pink-haired girl and black-haired Uchiha sent glares towards Naruto, who looked off to the side to avoid them. Sasuke softened his stare to look to the old man. "Naruto lost a bet to him yesterday. He said we all had to suffer as a team."
A sound of understanding came out the couple's of mouths at the same time. The woman looked at the blond with a small smile. "So what was this bet that cost you all your food for today?" She asked out of curiosity.
Naruto looked down ashamed and embarrassed, not wanting to answer the question. "That I could read an entire dictionary in 10 minutes and remember them all word for word." He said softly putting his pointer fingers together and twisting them.
After a few seconds, the couple began laughing making them all give a look of uncertainty. Finally, they stopped and saw their faces. The woman wiped her eyes before smiling and putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Sorry about that but our former teammate had made that same bet with our sensei and lost it just like you. Only, she was forced to actually read it while Kaito and I went on a date."
Her husband nodded once in agreement wearing the same smile. "Ah yes! We were about, what 14-years-old when that happened, right, Mami?" He recalled looking towards his wife to confirm with him, which she did by moving her head up and down. "That a while ago."
"Wow...even from so long ago...they were still in love as they were today. It's kinda hard to believe that they've been able to love each other and stay together for this long with them both being jonin. I wonder if I'll have that type of relationship.." Sakura's eyes wandered over to Sasuke, who had his eyes closed and hands in his pockets. She sighed sadly. "Yeah right. Keep dreaming, Sakura. As if that might happen..."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound her and her teammates hungry stomachs. They all went blue to face and held a hand to their own stomachs pouting slightly.
"I'm gonna keel over if I don't have some food soon...believe it." Naruto concluded as he stopped walking and crouched down causing the rest of them to stop.
Sasuke shot him a scowl, which sent shivers down both Sakura and Naruto's spines. "Maybe if you shut your mouth for once then we wouldn't be in this scenario. If anything, you should die right there. You loser." Sasuke stated. He was right and everyone knew it.
"Sasuke.." Started Sakura holding her hands up to the Uchiha in defense. "Well even if it is Naruto's fault, it was Kakashi-Sensei who had come up with his side of it." She finished knowing how extreme Sasuke's temper was when it came to their hyper comrade.
"Not the point." Sasuke contradicted gritting his teeth slightly at both of them. "It's the fact that he doesn't know when to shut up that the entire team get punished. Even in missions, that loud-mouthed fool manages to mess the simplest of plans."
Naruto stood and glared at him. His teeth partly showing. "Oh and like you don't make mistakes, Mr. Perfect? So what if I mess up a few times, at least the mission get done!"
"You're still missing the meaning of what I'm saying." Sasuke said simply calming down, resisting the urge to punch Naruto. "They only get done because I have to pick up your mess after you do something stupid. You always want to do things your way without-" He stopped mid-sentence and pulled Mami over to side where 3 shirekan flew and landed in her previous spot. "We've got company."
They heard the sound of foot prints and each pulled out a kunai and went to guard Kaito and Mami. Naruto went on one side and Sakura on another while Sasuke guarded another side. They heard them but no action was being made.
"How many are there?" Naruto wondered not able to make it out due to all of the other sounds. He wanted to make sure it wasn't a bunch.
Sakura adjusted her hearing a bit and tried to listen to all the noises before getting a good amount. "I estimate about 3. One is about to land in the tree in front of Sasuke in 10 seconds and another on that high branch in the same amount of time." She informed them quickly. "Throw kunai at those points...now!"
Sasuke and Naruto threw them instantly. Two flashes fell down to the ground with a thud. They looked around hearing silence but knew there was a 3rd person. Sakura tried to look in the trees and bushes but saw nothing nor did Sasuke or Naruto.
"Where are they? It's way too quiet. Did he retreat?" Sasuke thought with a look of annoyance on his face. His eyes widened when he heard a noise. It was almost like... "A smoke bomb!"
As his sentence finished, the bomb clashed with the ground sending black smoke everywhere. They all coughed as it filled their lungs. Sasuke pulled Mami out with him while Naruto grabbed Kaito. The fume vanished and they saw that nothing was there.
A realization hit both of the shonobi at once when they saw that their previous spot was empty. "Where's Sakura?"
They heard a small scream which they recognized as Sakura's. Turning in the direction they heard it from, they saw her being held at kunai point by a man with dark yellow eyes and gray hair. He was tall and from their angle. Her feet were off the ground with both of her hands behind her back while his arm was around her neck holding a kunai at it.
"Oh, so your name is Sakura?" His scratchy but deep voice said, giving her look that made Sasuke and Naruto glare hard at him. He whiffed her hair and a let out a breath. "You smell just like your name. Beautiful."
"Put her down." Naruto stated threateningly, clutching the kunai tightly. "I said put her down!"
"And why would I do that?" The man teased with a low sinister chuckle. Sakura wiggled a bit in his grasp but his hold was too tight.
Kaito looked at him, adjusting his glasses. A glare appeared on his face along with his wife. "Leave the girl be, Taro."
Sasuke stayed focused on the man in front of them holding his teammate captive. The name from Kaito made him wonder about his identity. "Who is this?"
"Taro Akita, the Lion of the Mountains. He is a man who is sick to head. He comes to our village and raids our food supply, damages our crops, and worst of all, kidnaps young girls." Mami explained briefly staring at man with a look of disgust. "Kaito and I have been hunting him down for decades. Ever since he abducted and killed our teammate."
"You're still going on about Suzuko? You guys can really hold a grudge." Taro closed his eyes before opening them again to send a powerful smirk at them. "It's not I wanted to kill her. I mean, she was gorgeous but she wasn't my type. Just like those other ones." He gazed at Sakura with a look of wanting. "How about you, Sakura? What do you taste like?"
Once Sasuke heard the phrase, something inside him snapped. A dark aura danced around him as his cursed mark lit up and started appearing over his body. He began clenching his kunai so hard that it made it crack slightly. He looked at Naruto from the side with a straight face. "Stay here and guard them. I'm ending this."
Sakura's emerald eyes got big with fear and concern. She didn't want Sasuke to go wild like he had done before. From the look his eyes, which now held the red sharingan, Sakura knew that he wasn't fully in control. "Sasuke...!"
Before she could finish, Taro tightened his grasp around her throat as he backed away slightly from the anger filled boy walking towards him. "Stay back!" He shouted at him. "I-I'll kill her! I swear I will-"
Sasuke shadowed behind him making him freeze instantly. A smirk appeared on Sasuke's face, as Taro turned slightly to look at him. "You'll what?" Sasuke asked simply. Not even waiting for a response, Sasuke delivered a kick to his side, forcing him to let go of Sakura. She fell to the ground trying to regain so air in her lungs as he went farther to the side.
Naruto ran to her side. "Are you alright, Sakura?" He inquired as he looked at her with concern. She coughed a bit before looking at him seriously.
"We gotta stop him or Sasuke's gonna kill him." She stood up and ran towards him with Naruto behind her. "Sasuke, you gotta stop!"
The Uchiha ignored her pleas and picked up Taro by his shirt with his Chidori coating his right hand which also held the kunai. A dark smile still on his face as he watched his prey squirm in his grasp. The scared expression on Taro's face only fueled his power.
"Mercy! Mercy! Have mercy on me!" Taro cried out in fear of his life. "I'm sorry! I'll leave the village alone! I won't touch another woman! Just please don't kill me! Have mercy, I beg you!"
His look got worst when he heard Sasuke's low and monstrous laugh. Soon it stopped but his grin remained as if it was stuck. "Sorry but that word isn't in my dictionary." He went to put the Chidori knife through his body when his right arm paused. He tried again and his smile melted in a frown after seeing that Naruto and Sakura were holding it back.
"Sasuke, snap out of it! This isn't right and you know it!" Said Naruto struggling to hold his friend's hand back while also avoiding the spark from his lightning covered hand.
Sasuke turned his head to face the blond-haired jinchuriki. "This doesn't concern you!" He used his elbow to knock him in head making him stumble back holding his face in pain while Sakura got a few steps. He was about to try again when another hold stopped him. This time belonging to Sakura. "Why won't you let me end his pitiful life?"
"This is not something the Sasuke I know would do! Sasuke, please don't let this happen again!" She justified on the brink of tears staring at him while holding on his arm tightly. "Please don't turn into that monster!"
He looked at her with a bit of shock and confusion as she tried to protect the man who just held her captive not even a few minutes before. His anger was blinding his sense of reason along with curse mark holding lots of power. The words from the curse echoing in his mind as his glare got harder and harder. Finally, he
went almost crazy and got his arm loose from her hold.
"Leave me alone!" He shouted out, slicing his Chidori at her direction. She was too shocked to move as Naruto recovered just in time to see the kunai slice over her eyes and part of her hand making blood fly and her cry of pain. Sasuke's curse resided instantly when he saw what he had done. Both of the boy's eyes widened, as she hit the ground twitching.
"Sakura!" Sasuke called, dropping his now blood stained kunai along with the now unconscious Taro,who had fainted from shock, as he went to pick her up. She flinched at his touch which made him feel like dieing right there in then. Kaito rushed over and placed his jacket over her and picked her up while Sasuke stayed on the ground looking down.
"If I'm correct, your village shouldn't be that far. We need to hurry." Kaito stated looking at his protectors. "If one of you, hurry ahead you can go get help. Mami and I may not be fast but we can still move ahead as fast as we could."
"I'll go." Naruto spoke up instantly. He sent a worried and hated look towards Sasuke before turning to Kaito. "Please, take care of them." With that, Naruto ran off at lightning speed before either could respond.
Sasuke was in so much shock that he wasn't even breathing right. He had just almost killed his teammate after she tried to help him. His eyes fell on the kunai that had her blood on it and his mind wandered to her sudden flinch when he tried to touch to her. That had to have made him feel worst of all...
"Sasuke, we must hurry. She's losing lots of blood." Mami said shaking him as she saw how pale he had gotten. She noticed that the light had left his eyes shook him harder. "Sasuke!"
Her calls were echoing in his mind as his consciousness tilted back in forth. Everything around him started to go white and his hearing faded. To him, the air was so humid that breathing was getting harder but at the same time he felt himself shaking. Sasuke's body hit the ground and he was still trying to breathe but instead it felt as if it was being taken away.
Next thing Sasuke knew, he was in a hospital room facing the ceiling. His breathing had returned to normal and everything was no longer bright white. Sitting up, a memory appeared in his head playing it over multiple times. His unwilling attempt to kill Sakura was plaguing his mind since it had happened. A voice started talking to him again making, him hold his curse mark.
"Do you see what you are capable of? Your power was strong enough to almost kill that girl. Just imagine how much stronger you could be with more power. More than you could ever imagine." The snake-like voice tried tempting him. A part of Sasuke was curious while everything else is his body was doing it's best to block it out. The 'so called' power had almost made him kill his teammate after he vowed to protect them.
3 knocks were heard on the door making the voice immediately shut and the curse mark stop. The door slid open and he saw that it was Kakashi and Tsunade. They went to the end of the bed while he stared down.
"So you're finally awake. It's about time. You've been sleep for days." Tsunade remarked putting her hand on her hips with a half smile. "I was getting worried."
"What happened to me?" Sasuke questioned not looking at her. He was curious sense he didn't remember coming here or even getting in the village. Another question came to mind and he looked to his Sensei for the answer with a concerned yet scared look. "Where's Sakura?"
"Relax. Apparently from what Ms. Mami said, you started having a panic and heart attack at the same time. It's a miracle you survived because it's rare those two things happen at once." Kakashi informed him with his classic one eyed smile. "That might partly be from the fact that you didn't eat anything all day but I guess I let that punishment slide."
Sasuke clenched his covers tightly as a scowl appeared on his face. His second question was being avoided and that was the reason he had it. "Where is Sakura?" He asked raising his voice slightly just to make sure they heard him and answered. When he got silence for a response, Sasuke started to think the worst. The scowl vanished into a pure frightened expression as he stared at the hokage and jonin. "What happened to her?"
"Sasuke, she's blind." Tsunade told him after seconds of debating with herself on either to tell him or not but the look on his face she already knew that the mistake had already been made. He was shaking again and his eyes were wide. She decided not to tell him the details thinking he would probably have another heart attack.
"I-I..." He started to say but the shock was already starting to overcome his entire body. He blinded her. He tried to help him and he repaid her by taking away her eye sight. If that wasn't enough to give him heart attack then he rather stab it himself. "I blinded her..."
"Naruto told me what happened and I want to ensure you that it wasn't your fault." Kakashi tried to convince him but it was failing horribly. He knew the Uchiha well enough to know that he would take that news to heart. After all, Sasuke did do it himself.
"Don't you dare say it's not my fault!" Sasuke almost shouted, knowing fully well that it was his fault. He was the one who had the kunai and he was the one lost his temper and injured her. It was him who had almost killed her. "I took away her eye sight and you want to act like I didn't do it. I know I did it and so does she..."
The two adults looked at him with pity. He was really messed up about this. Kakashi was stumped on what more he could say before giving a Tsunade and glance. Tsunade caught and got an idea. "Would you like to go see her?" She asked hoping that he'd say yes but he answered in a low voice that she didn't hear but sounded like a no. "What did you say?"
"I said no." Sasuke spoke up loosening his grip on the blankets but his answer still surprised them. His eyes fell onto his hands with a grim look. "When I tried to help her..she flinched when I touched her. She's probably afraid of me but I wouldn't blame her because I'm the one who took away her ability to see. To her, I'm a monster."
Before Tsunade could disagree with him, Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She nodded and sighed softly. She turned her had to the depressed boy with her own sad look. "You'll be able leave in the afternoon. Just make sure to let the front desk know." She walked out the room followed by Kakashi who shut the door after him.
Sasuke fell back and covered his eyes with his arms and fought the urge to scream his lungs out.
Sakura was walking out the hospital with Naruto leading her. Since she couldn't see, Naruto was instructed to take her home and wait until her parents returned. Tsunade had kept it quiet about Sakura's condition so no in village knew. She a gauze over both her eyes and wrap on her hand. Naruto held her hand which she didn't object to.
"Hey, Naruto?" Sakura asked as the walked after being silent since they left. She stopped walking making him stop. A smile found it way to her face. "Can we go the park? I mean...I'm a bit stir crazy and I don't wanna go home yet.
Naruto forced on a pained smile. She still smiling even though her sight had been taken away. He admired about how strong she was and nodded to himself knowing she couldn't see it. "Sure." He answered before walking towards the park at a somewhat fast pace. He didn't know why he was going so fast but slowed once they reached park. He lead her over to swings where he then let go. "Here we are."
She moved her hands around to feel for swings. Once her hand found the seat she seat and moved herself around. "Thank you, Naruto." She told him with her gaze focused down.
"Don't worry. I know you'd do the same for me." Naruto smiled at her but wiped it off after realizing the she wouldn't see it. He sat on the other one. Right as he sat, he heard people.
"Hey, Naruto!" Said Choji grinning as he walked up with his team along with Team 9 and Team Guy.
Ino smiled at her pink-haired rival. "Hello, Sakura." She looked and saw she had the wrapping on her face and her curiosity raised. She arched an eyebrow. "What's up with the mummy look? It isn't very attractive if this is your new way to get Sasuke's attention."
Naruto growled slightly at Ino's comment. Above everything, Sasuke was the very last person he wanted to hear about and saying that about her gauze only made him more angry. Ever since what happened, he hadn't even seen his other teammate knowing that he would probably go mad.
"Yeah, I know. It's something new I'm trying." Sakura put on a sincere smile with a small laugh. Her voice cracked slightly with the laugh that made everyone give a glance of confusion. "So what's up?"
"We're having a small get together and wanted to know if the youthful Team Seven were coming?" Lee asked with his bright grin and thumbs up.
Naruto put his head down dejectedly. He'd had almost forgot that no one else know about Sakura's condition. "Well..."
"Come on. It's gonna be fun! The jonin leaders aren't coming so it just gonna be us!" Kiba tried convincing after hearing the uncertainty in his voice. A little bit of him was confused why Naruto would be so hesitant about it.
Shikamaru crossed his arms casually. "I bet even Sasuke might enjoy it." He added knowing that Ino would want to convince Sakura because of that reason.
Naruto eyes shifted over to Sakura who had clenched her hand on the chain with her head down. He looked up to the teams before realizing how they didn't know how the team really was at the moment. If he had to be honest, he wanted to go and have fun but what would be fun when Sakura wouldn't be able to see it and to his knowledge Sasuke was still in the hospital...
"Isn't that Sasuke right there?" TenTen motioned over to the road with her thumb. Just sure enough, Sasuke was walking at a slow speed with his hands in his pockets and his eyes shut. He had his book bag on which stunned her. "Is he going some-"
"Sasuke! Over here!" Ino cut her off waving like a maniac to grab his attention, not even hearing TenTen's previous comment. "Hey, Sasuke!"
He opened his eyes to see what was calling him and noticed Ino, along with everyone else. His eyes widened when they fell Sakura. Everyone except Naruto followed his gaze to Sakura and got very confused. Sasuke then turned his head and dashed off with saying a word.
"Why did he give Sakura that look?" Neji pondered out loud hoping to receive an answer from either of his comrades who didn't say a word. "Well?"
Instead, Naruto stood and started to walk off, taking Sakura hand as he did but she pulled him making him stop. He turned to see her still sitting. "Sakura..."
She gave him a reassured smile which shocked him to no end. "It's alright, Naruto. Besides they had to find out sometime and there's no time like the present right?" She said making him turn his head off to the opposite direction. Not able to see his face, Sakura motioned her head to the others. "I'm sorry but we won't be able to come because I can't see."
"What do you mean?" Ino asked but slightly in a demanding tone. She was confused about her sentence and partly about why Sasuke ran off after giving her that look which resembled one of fear.
"I mean I can't see. I've been blind ever a few days ago." Sakura explained shortly still holding to her smile. Though her smile was one of sincerity, they had an entire face expression of shock.
"How did that happen? We're you attacked or did you get into an accident?" Lee asked worriedly about her and it showed clearly on his face. "I'll find the person responsible and I'll..." He stopped when he saw the smile on her face and her shake her head softly. "Sakura..."
Sakura's smile didn't alter the slightest. "Lee, that won't change anything. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm not dead." She attempted to lightened the mood. Lowering her head, Sakura moved her hands to her lap. "Naruto, why don't you go have some fun? I know how to get to my house from here."
He gave her a surprised glance. "What are you talking about? It's dangerous to be walking home be yourself in your condition. There's no way I'm leaving you alone." He declared, though it sounded weird to himself considering that fact that he always heard someone else saying to that to him.
"I'd knew you would say that." Sakura said in with a small chuckle. Using the chains on the swings to support herself, she stood and put her locked her hands behind her back. "So I'm going to go home now so you can go. Later." She started walking off leaving Naruto dumbstruck by her actions.
The blond-haired boy was about to go after her when someone put a hand on his shoulder. He tuned his head and noticed that it was Hinata, who hadn't said a word since they got here. "Hinata?" He looked at her with confusion as to why she had did that.
"I-I'll go with her, N-Naruto." She told him, going slightly red from touching his shoulder. "I wasn't going a-anyway so you can go on ahead. I-If you want, I can stay w-with her to put you at ease." She offered wiggling her other hand nervously.
Naruto wanted to be with Sakura but didn't want to hurt Hinata feelings by declining her offer. He knew she meant well and was a good choice to stay with her. Taking her hand from his shoulder, Naruto gave her his classic smile. "Thank you, Hinata."
Feeling herself ready to faint, Hinata nodded her head getting redder by the moment. "N-No problem. I'm h-happy to help." She told him before taking her hand back quickly. "B-Bye." She hurried along to catch with Sakura who had got pretty far in the next distance.
Ino smiled and grabbed TenTen's wrist and went to go after them. She turned to looked at the boys. "TenTen and I are going too. You guys have fun!" She shouted at them almost dragging the brown-haired girl with her.
As soon as the girls were gone, Naruto started walking in the almost same direction with hands in his pockets. The others gave him a look. Kiba went to grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, you saw that the girls are going with Sakura. What are you doing?"
"Going to search for Sasuke." Naruto answered simply not turning to look at him. "We have something to talk about and what's a guys night without all the guys here."
Lee almost knocked everyone down to go in front of Naruto with his toothy grin and thumbs ups. "Then we will accompany you and the search for him. That way is will be much faster than doing it alone." He said with a small shine of his teeth.
Until next time!
"You'll never know the pain of a broken heart till you've experience it yourself."
- (Cherry)