This takes place in canon all the way up to right before Sasuke puts together team Hebi (Taka). Orochimaru has heard of Sakura being Tsunade's prodigy and wants her to join and ultimately help cure him. Hoping she can do what Kabuto and Karin cannot, Orochimaru sends Sasuke to retrieve her thinking she would comply with the boy she desperately wants to come home. I hope you all enjoy, and reviews/messages are very encouraged and so appreciated!
"Feeling used, But I'm still missing you and I can't see the end of this-and now all this time is passing by
But I still can't seem to tell you why it hurts me every time I see you. Realize how much I need you
I hate you, I love you
I hate that I love you
Don't want to, but I can't put nobody else above you" I hate you, I love you – Gnash
"You heard me, Sasuke."
The snake's voice pierced Sasuke's ears. He heard what he had said, but could not believe it. It was a ludicrous mission.
"No."
"This isn't up for discussion. I-" Orochimaru burst into gurgling coughs, spewing blood over his hands and bed sheets.
He was lying in bed, looking paler than normal and obviously in pain. Kabuto at his side, Sasuke standing in front of the rock door glaring at his request.
"She can't offer you anything more than Kabuto or Karin can."
"Yes my boy, I believe she can. You see, she has been studying under a former teammate of mine. Tsunade has undoubtedly taught her well. I have even heard rumors that young Sakura has surpassed her teacher." More coughs, more blood. He obviously was making his condition worse with speech.
Sasuke grunted, "Fine. I won't promise you she'll comply."
"I care not of her compliance. If you can't take her kindly, take her by force."
The Uchiha prodigy had had enough. He turned towards the door.
"If you don't do as I ask, I will have to send my other disciples to fetch her. Except I would ask for her head to be brought to me.."
Sasuke could hear the smile in the snake's voice.
…..
"Sakura, what's wrong?"
The flamboyant blonde abruptly stopped leaping through the branches of the thick forest in order to let his teammate catch up. She had been distant the entire mission, like she was completely lost in her own thoughts.
She stopped on the branch he landed on, "Hm? Oh it's nothing. I just..I feel like we're being followed. But not really us..it's like it's following just me. I've had this feeling for days now."
Naruto answered with a flat slap on her back, earning him a grimace from Sakura, "C'mon now Sakura you haven't had a good night's sleep in days you're imagining it. I haven't sensed anyone's chakra ever since we left. You're fine, promise!"
He was right, she hated to admit. She had been up until the early hours of the morning helping at the hospital. They were shorthanded and in desperate need of good healers. She loved the hospital. Being busy kept certain people from entering her thoughts. A certain person from entering her thoughts.
She smiled a quick false one, "Yea, I guess you're right."
Tsunade offered them a simple mission; escort a young lord who was visiting the leaf back to his home in the land of waves. To most ninja, this was a pretty serious one. For Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, it was child's play.
They had delivered the young man and had begun the trip home when the feeling of being watched was driving Sakura insane.
They stopped for the night in a small clearing within the wood. They laid out their mats and all slowly let sleep come over them. Sakura's mind couldn't stop racing.
I saw a stream a little ways back, maybe some cold water will do me good.
The stream wasn't as far back as she first thought. Just a couple of minutes walking through the narrow trees brought her to it. It was beautiful, clear blue in the moonlight. It reminded her of the one in the forest of death. In the most unlikely place, there was still something so beautiful. Sasuke and Naruto had caught them fish to eat there; in the midst of heated arguments of course.
Her expression dropped and a lump caught tight in her throat as his name bled into her thoughts. He had slipped in without her even meaning for him to. She audible sighed "Sasuke.."
She stared at her reflection in the water. She wasn't the skinny twelve year old he left. She wasn't weak. Not anymore.
"I wonder where you are.."
She cupped her hands into the water and splashed her face. It was so cold it heightened her senses and sent a shiver down her spine. After clearing her eyes of water, she noticed a reflection that wasn't her own.
No.
She whirled around, kunai in hand and prepared to pummel who dared catch her so off guard. There was no way the reflection she saw was real. And whoever pretended to be him was going to pay for it.
She turned to meet an open clearing. She could see no one.
"Alright come out!"
Silence.
"I said come ou-"
"I don't think barking orders at your opponent will get you anywhere. You haven't changed. You were always all bark and no bite."
The velvet that slipped off his tongue hit her ears in a way that made her furious. It was him. She didn't imagine it. And he was there to toy with her.
Though surprised, she didn't drop her guard. She couldn't trust Sasuke, not anymore.
"Sasuke?..It was you, you were the one that's been following me" her voice didn't match her stance. It came out too surprised and vulnerable, childlike.
He walked through the brush, into the moonlight. Her voice visibly caught in her throat. He had grown even more since she last saw him at the underground hideout. So much more masculine, and tone. His dark purple sleeves shirt showed just enough bare chest to make her palms sweat.
His expression was blank, "Come with me." He confirmed her suspicions.
"Huh?!"
"Orochimaru has requested you. I need you to come to his western hideout."
"Like hell! Are you crazy? Did you really think I'd just say yes and follow you?"
He paused for what seemed like several minutes. The silence grew thick, Sakura's ears began to ring.
"I'm taking you back. With or without your compliance."
Sakura smirked, "Y'know Sasuke? You sound an awful lot like someone I know."
His brows creased, he was growing annoyed.
"As annoying as ever. Always around when he is unwanted."
He couldn't be talking about her anymore, someone must be coming.
"Sakura! SAKURAAA" Naruto's bellowing rasp as a voice echoed through the trees. He burst into the clearing.
"What the hell are you doing?! I turn over and you're gone!"
Sakura could only stare wide-eyed into the brush where Sasuke's figure had been. She had dreamt it. She had to of.
"I think I.." exhausted, Sakura's legs began to shake and buckle, threatening to drop her.
Naruto slung her arm around his shoulders, "C'mon, you need your sleep. You can't overwork yourself like this, Sakura."
"yeah.." she was only half listening. She couldn't help but look one last time into the clearing where he had been just moments before. Knowing she'd see nothing, her eyes caught a glimpse of two red lights. Two angry red lights. No, not lights. Two sharingan eyes. It really was him. He was really there, and he was coming for her. She felt her eyes roll into the back of her skull, and succumbed to unconsciousness.
…..
The morning heat woke her before she was ready. The sun boiled down on her cheeks and seeped through her eyelids. She groaned, forgetting where she was.
Kakashi and Naruto were packing up and getting ready to head out towards Konoha. She figured they were going to be polite and let her sleep in. She wished she could thank them, for everything they have done for her. Her heart swelled. She couldn't imagine finer teammates, a finer family. Except one with him in it.
She violently physically shook the thought out of her mind, making her temples throb and her sight go fuzzy. Her team must've seen her fight her internal battle.
"Sakura! Don't get up, I'm just going to carry you!"
"No offense Naruto, but I think I'm just gonna walk on my own. I need to stretch out anyway." She let out a big yawn and exaggerated her stretch.
Naruto's expression melted, "Oh, well okay" he covered it up with a small grin.
She answered his grin with a smile of her own, happy he didn't force the option of being carried on her. She wanted to slip away again. To make sure she truly wasn't hallucinating last night.
The trio continued their leaps through the forest for hours, stopping for small snacks and a lunch (for Naruto's never ending appetite).
On their lunch break, Sakura decided to take her chance.
"I saw a cute little medicinal store back up the road, I think I'm going to check it out and pick some things for Lady Tsunade" she attempted to make her voice as cheery and inconspicuous as possible. But it came out just odd. Kakashi noticed.
"That sounds good! I need a break from these damn trees, I'll go with you!" Naruto stepped towards her.
"No!"
Naruto stopped his outstretched foot. He and kakashi both stared at the kunoichi questioningly.
She threw up her hands in apology, "I'm sorry I'm just not feeling that great right now, I might even throw up on the way. Definitely don't want you guys to see that, I'll be back soon!" and with that awful attempt at an excuse, she ran for it; leaving her team in her dust.
It was a little over a mile to get to the herb shop. She made it there in no time, and without interacting with anyone. There was nothing. No red eyes glistening in the brush. No Sasuke.
She had given up. She was obviously exhausted and gave herself a nightmare, or actually had a severe hallucination.
She solemnly accepted that fact and proceeded to purchase a few things from the herb garden shop. It was small, much smaller than Ino's family flower shop, but still offered some good gifts for her lady sensei.
After picking out her favorites, she approached the cashier's table, only to find she had been the only one in the store.
She leaned over the table to peer into the small back office where only employees and the shop owner could venture, "I'd like to buy a few things if that's okay! Hello?"
She grew concerned, there's no reason she should be alone, unless someone wanted her to be.
She felt a presence behind her. It was close enough to touch her, close enough to kill her.
She tightened her grip on her kunai, and focused her chakra into her palm making it a steadily glowing blue.
The presence took a step further. She drew back, planning to stab through the stomach as she whirled around. But her opponent was far too fast. Faster than even Kakashi. Her hand was grabbed tight and twisted behind her back in a way that should have been painful.
Is his guy going easy on me?! I'll teach this jerk how that was a big mistake
"Who are you? What do you want-"
"Sakura."
She couldn't keep the air from escaped her gawking mouth in a sharp gasp.
She couldn't see him, so she must've imagined the words that came from the imposter.
Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. Who she knew it was. She didn't get a chance to speak. She didn't have a chance at all.
…
Sasuke had used his sharingan to pull her into unconsciousness. He caught her as her body gave up, and retrieved her for the snake. Lifting her into his arms, he flited out of the shop.
…..
"So?"
The snake's voice was even worse than before, muffled with coughs and spurts of blood.
"I did what you asked." Sasuke spit out the words
Orochimaru and Kabuto shared excited nasty grins, "Good, good. May we see her?"
"She's unconscious."
Orochimaru's face lit up, "Aha! Poor Sasuke had to use force on the girl. I hope she is not beaten too badly?"
Sasuke's anger flared. Beaten? As if he would've beaten Sakura for something like this. As if he would've beaten her at all. The thought of her mangled beneath him, her blood on his hands, made his mouth turn down in a snarl.
Orochimaru noticed.
"Hmm? Why the angry face?"
"Are we finished here?"
"Actually, Sasuke there is something else."
"Then hurry it up, I have better things to do."
"Lord Orochimaru and I, as you know, have been experimenting on different ways to implement the mastery and chakra of the Uchiha into helping us in the long-run." The snake's henchman decided to chime in.
"Get on with it."
"I did not order the delivery of the leaf brat just to help heal me, Sasuke." Orochimaru had something else up his sleeve, that was easy to tell. But how severe his plan was, Sasuke didn't want to guess.
"Then what else do you want her for?" Sasuke's anger was threatening to boil over
"She can give me something no experiment can."
"What are you getting at?"
"She can deliver me a vessel. A vessel may even more worthy than you."
Sasuke's chidori infused katana found its way to Orochimaru's still-smiling face. Stopping just inches away, he chuckled.
"Oh Sasuke, your temper tantrums don't amuse me like they used to."
"Tell me what you're planning."
Orochimaru's patience was growing thin, "I need an Uchiha. She can bear me one of my own. One without such a temper, perhaps."
….
Sakura opened her eyes to darkness. She couldn't be outside, the stars would make the night lighter than this. She closed and opened her lids again, hoping her eyes would soon adjust to the unknown dark.
She felt something cold and hard on her back. It was extremely uncomfortable, and rocky. The floor. It was a dirt floor of a dark, small cell surrounded by thick black rusted bars. She had been captured, that much was obviously. But where?
Her memories began to rush back, Sasuke had gotten his way. He had delivered her to Orochimaru.
How could he do something like this? How can he just nonchalantly offer her up to someone as awful as the sannin? She felt her ears getting hot. She was livid.
The bars wouldn't be a problem for her monsterous strength. She was getting out of her without Sasuke. To hell if he comes home or not. Konoha isn't his home anymore. He isn't the boy she fell in love with.
Her temper succumbed her, and she lunged for the bars.
"I wouldn't."
The disembodied voice stopped her advance. "And why not?" she barked back into the darkness beyond the bars.
A small lantern mounted on the rock wall suddenly lit in a burst of bright light. Then another, and another, and another until the entire jail was lit.
It was still too dim to see him from that far away, but his silhouette was easy to recognize.
"The bars are laced with chakra. It blocks all attacks, and anyone trying to leave from the inside."
"Urgh, why Sasuke?! What's the point of all this?"
His dark eyes widened, like her question had an answer she didn't want to know.
"Answer me!"
He approached her cell, fully entering the light of the flames.
"Do you want out of that cage or not?" his voice was flat. Too flat. He was hiding something.
"Not until I know what lies beyond it."
"I told you why he wanted you here."
"You're hiding something from me, what is it?"
His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white How could he have forgotten how well she knew him? How she could read a lie from him like it was tattooed on his face. She noticed.
"Sasuke, what do they want from me?"
Abruptly, he drew his katana. Instinctively, she began to slowly back up. Away from him. Away from the man he had become.
With one swing, quicker than her eyes could catch, he broke the chain around the door to her cell. Breaking the chakra barrier with it.
"Follow me." Without meeting her eyes he turned towards the exit, obviously expecting her to follow.
The hideout was identical to the one they had reunited in. The underground fortress was particularly larger than the other, and actually even a little nicer and well kept. It was cleaner, despite the barbaric jail she had been held in that smelt of sweat and dried blood.
Sasuke lead her down a long corridor lines with lanterns lighting the way. He stopped at a grand rock door to their right.
"Enter…hmmhahmm" she could have recognized the eerie laughter of the snake sannin anywhere. It made her skin crawl. She didn't want to see him again. She initiatively closed the distance between herself and Sasuke. They arms touched. She had not noticed, but the Uchiha had. He simply looked her direction, and let her dare to stay that close, something he had in the past made impossible for Karin or the sound nin kunoichi to do.
They entered the bedroom, Sakura still close at Sasuke's side.
"Welcome to my home, young kunoichi of the leaf. Sakura, was it?"
"Don't play coy with me. You know exactly who I am. Why else would I be here?"
He returned her retort with a mischievous grin, "I have reason to believe you will help me achieve my ultimate goal…as well as your former teammate's."
"What are you going on about?"
"Sasuke, leave us would you please?"
Sasuke hesitated, and in silence turned to leave. Once he reached the grand door he added, "I will see her in 6 minutes." And slammed the entrance shut with a piercing loud clap.
"Ahaha..Seems as Sasuke has given you a curfew. He does not trust me. Even after all this time."
"You don't know Sasuke at all, do you? He doesn't care about me. He doesn't care about anyone..not anymore."
"Oh? What makes you so sure?"
"Because he brought me here. That was proof enough."
"So, you believe the man he is now is not who he was? Because I believe he was like this all along. You just couldn't see it."
"Shutup! Shutup talking about things you know nothing about! You weren't around until he was a teenager! He was nothing like that before you showed your damn face at the exams!"
"Don't get so riled up little kunoichi. Come to think of it..yes, yes I remember perfectly now. Seeing you again has cleared my memory."
"Memory of what?" she spat back, she didn't care what he had to say. She was too busy pictured her fist breaking his jaw.
"The chunin exams, do you remember? You were present when I gifted Sasuke with my curse mark."
"Yes..I was there for that. For all of that."
"I believe you were the first and only to know for quite a bit at first weren't you? There is a lot about Sasuke only you have seen, only you can understand. Hm?"
"I can't begin to understand the pain..the pain that Sasuke has suffered. I tried to, but it backfired."
"You tried to understand, and he left the village."
"What is the meaning of bringing back up old memories?" her fury was boiling over.
"I believe that if it will be anyone to give Sasuke and I what we want, it will be you. I believe Sasuke knows this too."
Kabuto fiddled with his glasses to hide a slight blush, and a creepy giggle. He had been present throughout the conversation. Idling beside his master, in the shadows.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The door behind her burst open, sending in a gust of warm air into the murky misty room.
"Time's up."
She turned to face Sasuke, he wasn't looking at her. His face twisted in angst was in the direction of the snake. His sharingan on in all its glory. She was relieved. She found herself unbearably relieved to see him, she felt warmer. Safer. Something she thought she would never feel around him again.
"Sakura."
He didn't have to ask her twice. She quickly ran for the exit, letting him slam the door behind her.
"All of that and I still don't understand why exactly I'm here." She was growing more annoyed every minute she spent there.
"I told you. He needs healing, you can do that for him."
"He has Kabuto for that. I'm sure he can do anything I can."
"Don't undersell yourself."
What did he say?
"Sasuke?.."
"we're here." He had led her to another grand door, much smaller than Orochimaru's and as far away from it as possible.
"Where are we?"
He opened the door to present a large room. It was plain, covered with databooks and ninja studies. But they weren't spread out on the floor and bed like her medical books at home, they were neatly placed in stack s beside the large bed. It had to be Sasuke's room. If the neatness did not give it away, the smell did. His scent covered the room. Fresh pine with sandalwood and a hint of masculinity. It was absolutely intoxicating.
"You'll have to stay here. Unless the cell was more comfortable." Sasuke entered the room with his hands in his pockets. She let her eyes wander. She hadn't been this close to him in so long. She forgot the lines in his biceps. The way his hair shines blue black in certain lights. The way his eyebrows drew up questioningly as he caught her.
She snapped out of her sudden infatuation, "I-uh what? I'm sorry, what was that?" she giggled nervously as she asked him to repeat his self.
Annoyed he continued, "You'll have to stay here."
"But isn't this your room?"
"Yes." He said it nonchalantly, but avoided her gaze.
"Uhm..oh, well okay. Where will you sleep?"
"Here." Again, avoiding her obvious surprise
She blushed heavily, "But-I I mean isn't there like a hundred other rooms in the hidehout?"
"Would you feel safe in one those rooms?" There wasn't a hint of a question in his tone. He knew the answer.
"I'll sleep on the floor."
"No! no I-I don't want to take your own bed from you!"
"You're not taking. I offered it."
Though his words wore kind, his voice was flat. He still wouldn't look at her.
"Sasuke..You know they'll come looking for me. And when Naruto finds you-"
"When Naruto finds me? You have a lot more confidence in the idiot now." He spit out the blonde's name.
"Of course I do. He's actually been around."
To her complete surprise, she found Sasuke vulnerable. Even in the most quick of an instant, she saw him in a raw form.
Her words struck him. It caught him off guard to hear what he always knew she thought. Hearing it aloud was worse than he could have ever imagine. His fingers twitched, his breath caught, he could only imagine what his expression was like. Almost immediately, he collected himself.
"Go to bed. I have things to do."
Turning for the door, he obviously avoided her stare. With the door firmly slammed behind her, and Sasuke on the other side of it, she finally let her tears fall.
Sasuke leaned on the wall beside the entrance to his bedroom for several minutes. Hearing her sobs made his brows crease and his fists tighten, it sickened him. But he could not find the strength to leave. She was under his skin, and he didn't have the strength to run from her anymore.