When I'm Done Here
A/N: Don't own Naruto. Ummm this fic was inspired by Linkin Park's song 'Leave Out All the Rest'. Hope you like.
Sasuke leaned against a tree out in the middle of the woods in the Sound Nation. It was rare that he had time to himself and he was going to take advantage of it. Leaning back he let his mind drift until unconsciousness claimed him and he dreamed. It had been four years since he left the Leaf. He was 19 now.
He was walking down the streets of Konoha. It was almost night by the positioning of the sun. Moving forward he was headed somewhere but he didn't get where it was until he walked past a familiar symbol on a wall. He was in the Uchiha district of the village. Entering the walls he walked down the street the buildings were in the same state of disrepair as before. There was something though that was off. As he moved towards his old home he noticed it wasn't in disrepair and the Uchiha fans were bright and repainted. It was as if someone fixed up his house without his permission. Anger coursed through him for a moment, until he heard laughing and running. There had never been laughing like this before in the Uchiha compound. He wondered who it could be. As he was about to open the door it swung open and a child ran out followed by a familiar pink head of hair. The boy dashed behind him and took hold of one of his legs. Sasuke looked down at the boy behind his legs. He was a carbon copy of himself except with his mother's sparkling emerald eyes.
"Daddy! Hide me!"
"Sai-kun come on…"
"It's all right Sakura," He said softly. "I always have time for my son."
Sasuke picked his son up and walked back to their house side by side. His free hand came out and took Sakura's hand. She looked over and smiled at him warmly.
Sasuke woke to his wife's screams. Getting up he rushed to go see what was making her scream. He found himself in the same room where his mother and father were murdered. His son lay bleeding out on the floor and Itachi had tied his wife up and pinned her against the wall.
"Itachi!!" he snarled.
"So little brother you've finally started a family it's to bad that the boy couldn't live. I'm sure that he would have been a great ninja."
Sasuke was trying to calm his rage knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere. Looking at his wife her eyes were clouded with fear and sorrow. That made his eyes burn and he knew the Sharingan was activated.
"Sasuke," his wife breathed softly.
She was bleeding and with his heightened senses he could smell the thick metallic scent in the air. Sakura began to struggle anew.
"Be still girl!" Itachi snarled.
"You killed my son!" Sakura raged.
Her muscles bunched as her strength was pushed outward. The chakra ropes exploded outward and she launched towards the older Uchiha. Her aim wasn't for the older Uchiha it was past him towards the boy. Sasuke launched forward and stabbed his brother through the heart with his katana. Blood gurgled in Itachi's throat as he sank to his knees and pitched forward. Sasuke looked over at his wife holding their son. Her face was buried in the boy's spiky raven hair. Her tears were tearing him up inside. He moved to his side and touched her shoulder.
"Sasuke," she breathed heavily. "I want my son back…"
A soft hiccup escaped her throat. Sasuke didn't know what to say to his wife.
Sasuke shot up with a start wondering where the hell that dream had come from. Running his fingers through his long bangs he didn't understand what had brought that on. He hadn't thought about his home village or his old teammates in a very long time, especially the pink haired girl that proclaimed her undying love to him. Leaning forward he rested his chin on his folded hands. For some reason he wondered what his life would have been like if he had stayed in the Leaf. Would he and Sakura have that son he saw in his dreams? What would he be leaving in this world once his time came to die? He knew that there wouldn't even be a footnote of him in history books once his time came, for some reason that bothered him.
"Sasuke?" he heard a familiar female voice call for him.
A sigh of annoyance escaped his lips. It was Karin his Sound teammate. She annoyed the hell out of him being just another fan girl. She was nothing like Sakura. He'd admit to himself that he had the smallest fondness for Sakura considering all the times he protected her. He remembered the first time he used the curse mark to make those idiot ninjas pay for hurting her. A shutter ran through him remembering how it felt with her arms wrapped around him trying to get him to calm down. Trying to get him to stop hurting people for the sheer malicious sake of hurting people, she cried for him that day. Reaching up he touched the curse mark. In his mind it was necessary to destroy Itachi and once that was done he'd kill Orochimaru. He doubted after that he'd return to the Leaf. Soft footsteps alerted him to his female teammate's presence. Sasuke didn't even spare her a glance.
"Sasuke," she started.
He stood ignoring her. The sudden urge to run overcame him. Leaping forward into the trees he began to run not knowing or caring exactly where he was going. Sometime later he came across the sound of struggling and screaming. Moving towards it he paused on a thick branch over looking the clearing. It was an ANBU member all alone against ten sound ninjas. This ninja had the grace and skill of a cat probably the reason for the cat mask. A sound managed to knock the mask off and send the person's hair flying. Sasuke froze in place realizing there was only on person that he knew of that had that color hair. The color of bubblegum and eyes the color of the purest emerald stones full of fire and determination. These emerald orbs were cold and hard just like the stone. It was like all the life had been drained from her and she was an ice block. All ten ninjas were dead in a matter of moments.
"Are you going to sit up there and watch me or are you going to come down here and fight?" he heard her call to him.
Carefully he dropped down in the clearing before her. There was no recognition in her eyes. It was as if they had never met before.
"So they've finally turned you into an emotionless minion haven't they Sakura?"
"They told me that my target one Uchiha Sasuke knew me before."
"Before?"
"Enough talking. I am to bring you back dead or alive it's your choice."
Sasuke sunk into a fighting stance wondering what had happened to the girl that had been in love with him. Wondering how long she had been molded into this person that stood before him, this perfect killer without emotions. While she was standing there he admired the changes in her body. She had filled out in all the right places. The soft whisper of metal on metal made him snap from his thoughts in time to avoid being cut down by this assassin. He jumped backwards quickly to get out of her strike range. A strange thought crossed his mind at that moment. He wondered if she resented him for leaving her the way he did.
"What happened before to make you so cold Sakura?" he asked as he dodged backwards to avoid another killing strike.
"I don't know," she said as she stood up strait and looked him in the eyes.
Like before there was nothing there not even a flicker of the person that she use to be. There was some odd emotion tugging at his heart at the sight before him. This wasn't Sakura.
"Why do I feel my conscious fight against any strike I make against you?" she asked quietly. "Why do I feel the intense urge to hug you and never let you go?"
"Some would say that you loved me once."
He cautiously moved forward towards her. She tensed but made no other move. It stung a little that she didn't remember anything about their past. He shook it off knowing that he shouldn't care that she didn't remember, but the nagging feeling that he was lying to himself was becoming more persistent. He reached out and touched her arm carefully. She looked at him in the eyes. It looked like she was searching for something in his eyes, something important.
"Sakura, do you remember the Chunin Exams?" Sasuke started.
"No, before two years ago I don't remember anything not even the accident that caused my memory loss."
Not understanding anything he pushed forward and kissed her softly on the lips, wrapping his arm around her waist and the other cupping her chin. He noticed that she didn't fight it or respond in anyway. His fingers threaded through her long pink locks. She jerked back quickly her eyes closed and she was shaking in fear.
"Sakura?"
"No, don't please," she whimpered softly.
"Sakura what is it?"
"Don't touch me," her voice quaked.
Sasuke was getting irritated by her not answering him.
"Sakura what are you seeing?"
"Akatsuki," she whimpered. "Don't please…"
This was the girl he knew back then, the scared girl that always needed his help in everything. She was terrified, and some part of him hated her being scared. Sasuke knew that she needed to be taken somewhere beside in the Sound right at this moment. Shaking his head he scooped the fragile seeming girl up in his arms and shot into the woods towards the Leaf Village. He knew it was risky to bring her here but at the rate she was clinging to him it would be a long time before she let him go. Her nose was buried in his neck and there was almost a sense of how things should be in his mind. He had to shake those thoughts off because they wouldn't do him any good at this rate. The insistent need to become stronger than his brother was at the forefront of his mind. Her grip on his shirt tightened.
"Sasuke?" she asked softly.
"Hn," he breathed softly against her neck.
"Don't do it," she whimpered.
Those long ago words echoed in his mind from a fight so long ago. It was the day he stopped those three idiot Sound ninjas from hurting her anymore. Her fingers tightened their grip on his shirt. He spared a glance down at the girl. Her brows were scrunched up in fear.
"Sakura do you still live in the same place?" he asked trying to get her to calm down.
She nodded against his chest. Sasuke managed to get over the wall without being seen. He suppressed his chakra. With care he moved into his old village looking for her place.
"Naruto…"
"What about…"
He barely dodged the kunai that flew past his head. Sasuke whipped around to see his blonde haired teammate standing there like a fish out of water.
"I don't have time for this Naruto. I need to get her inside and she won't let go of me."
The blonde nodded before leaping up onto the nearest roof top and landing gracefully on a balcony. Naruto backed up enough to let Sasuke land beside him. Sasuke had a feeling that Naruto was waiting for the moment he put Sakura down before he take a swing at him. Sasuke moved towards the bed and with a few reassuring words sat her down. She sighed as she shifted under the covers. Reaching forward he brushed a wild strand of pink hair out of her eyes. Once her breaths evened out Sasuke stood.
"Before you swing at me Naruto I want to know what happened to her two years ago."
"Itachi came."
Sasuke tensed after hearing those two words. He dreaded what he would hear next. "The Akatsuki came for me. Sakura was trying to fight off Itachi but wasn't doing so hot. Somehow he managed to catch her in his Sharingan and before I could help her the dude with the exploding birds dropped one to close breaking the contact and threw them both in the wall. Sakura hit her head really bad, and the Akatsuki retreated. It was touch and go for awhile keeping her alive. When she did wake she didn't remember anything. Tsunade instructed all the best of the best to teach her what she forgot and then some turning her into an emotionless assassin. I hated Tsunade for it and Kakashi-sensei wasn't too happy about it either. I hardly got to see her, and when Tsunade sent her alone after you Kakashi and I made a protests against it knowing the risk in sending her after you. Looks like Kakashi and I were right for once."
Sasuke wondered what it was that his brother made her see in order to paralyze her so badly. His eyes were trained on Sakura then on Naruto. Her fear was real and tangible. She began to whimper in her sleep. Sasuke looked up at Naruto. The blonde sighed softly and scratched his head in a familiar manner.
"I won't tell anyone you're here but you better be gone before dawn."
Sasuke nodded his head. "Don't hurt her anymore than you already have Sasuke."
A soft sigh escaped Sasuke's throat as Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke moved to the side of the bed and sat down. Sakura bolted up into his arms. Sasuke braced himself for a moment before returning the hug. He wasn't about to admit that she could still throw him off balance like that.
"Sakura what did Itachi show you?"
A shiver ran through her and harsh sobs wracked her chest. He figured that she wasn't going to answer but when she did it shocked him.
"He murdered you," she hiccupped softly against his neck. "And then he…"
Sasuke wasn't a genius for nothing from the way she was shaking he could guess what had happened, and it probably would have been in graphic detail. Maybe that was why her mind suppressed those memories because she couldn't deal with them.
"Take them away," she whimpered softly against her neck.
He knew what she was getting at but he didn't think it was the right thing to do. "Show me that love still exists in the world."
"Sakura I…"
Sasuke didn't want to hurt her. He didn't have much time and dawn was approaching swift. "I don't have much time. I need to be gone by dawn."
"Then why did you save me and bring me back here?"
"Save?" he asked in confusion.
Sakura tried to get out of bed but Sasuke pushed her back down. "You're still weak Sakura."
"Sasuke move before I forcefully remove you."
"Why do you want this so bad?"
"So I have something good to remember you by. A reason to miss you and forget the wrongs you've done. That once in my life you didn't call me weak or annoying and that I might have meant something to you."
She turned her face away knowing she had just put out her weakness. The weakness she cursed herself for after he left her. Even after all this time she still loved him with her whole heart and she figured it carried through even though her memory was gone. The guys asked her out but she never agreed even with Naruto's persistent pleadings. She was drawn from her thoughts as something warm touched her lips.
Sasuke fought back the chuckle that threatened to escape at the shocked look in her eyes. Reaching up he buried his fingers in the hair at the base of her neck deepening the kiss. Both had to pull back from the kiss. Leaning forward his forehead touched hers.
"Sakura I don't have a lot of time."
Her fingers came up and stroked his pale cheek. Her free hand ran down his chest. A shiver shot through him and her both at the same time. Looking down into her eyes he leaned forward and kissed her gently again. He pushed her backwards onto the bed and began trail kisses down her neck.
"Sasuke," the pink haired ninja sighed softly against his neck. "I love you."
Sasuke didn't stop his love bites hoping their actions spoke louder than the words that he couldn't find within himself to say back to her knowing they would be false words. Some part of him cared about her as a teammate and maybe someday it could be more but now wasn't the time for 'I love yous'. He's an avenger and they don't love until their missions are complete. He needed to kill Orochimaru and Itachi before he could even think of loving another person back. Her next words shocked him a little bit.
"I know you can't love me right now, until your avenging mission has been completed. Know that I will always love you."
That was so like Sakura and it was endearing. Capturing her lips again in a soft kiss he continued were he left off until both ninja lay exhausted side by side. Sakura scooted a short distance away from him knowing that when he left she didn't want to feel it. Sasuke had other ideas. He pulled her backwards against him and pulled the covers over them. Sakura soon drifted to sleep in his arms. Sasuke watched her sadly for a moment before pulling back and getting out of bed. He dressed quickly. The light tinting of the sky told him dawn was coming soon. He looked down at his were a black wrist band bore the mark of the Uchiha Clan. Slipping it off and placed it around her wrist. It was his subdued way of telling her that he'd return. Of course both of them knew that was never a guarantee that he'd return alive. A thought struck him just then. Shaking his head with a stupid smirk he leapt out the window leaving his lover curled up under the blankets.
Four years later
Sasuke stood on a hill breathing heavily. Orochimaru had been a tough bastard but he managed to take him down two years ago. Now Itachi stood before him. His black and red cloak tossed absently in the wind. This would be the final show down. One of them would not walk away from this battle. Both brothers knew it. They were fighting far away from the Leaf Village where his lover was. He'd be damned before he allowed his brother to use her against him. He wondered for a moment if he had a child waiting for him back in the Leaf Village. For awhile he actually got use to the idea of having a child with her. It wasn't much of a dream but it was one of the small things that he had looking forward to.
"It ends here Itachi."
There was only a slight nod of his head before Itachi leapt forward. Sasuke brought his Katana up to block his brother's onslaught. Sasuke managed to cut his brother's skin a few time before Itachi managed to disarm him. The youngest Uchiha knew it wasn't time to use his special attack, but the time was coming soon. Each time Itachi hit him with a kunai Sasuke just hissed in pain. He had something to fight for right now besides his family. Sakura was always a constant presence in his mind even though he tried to force the memories of her to the back of his mind. Somehow he could never do it for long before the memories came back in a rush. Deciding it was time for his last ditch effort Sasuke began to form Raikiri. Leaping forward he slammed it against his brother and Itachi didn't seem like he even tried to evade it. Sasuke was breathing hard as blood dripped down his hand. Following the constant dripping of blood he noticed it wasn't his. His white lightening attack had gone through Itachi's chest. There was a painful grimace on his brother's face. Sasuke hissed as a kunai was driven into his chest missing barely his lungs and heart. He threw Itachi to the ground. Blood pooled swiftly on the ground. Sasuke sank to his knees knowing that it was finally at an end and strangely enough he felt empty. Weakly he pulled out the kunai in his shoulder. Kneeling there he felt so weak and blood was pooling too rapidly. He figured that there was a good chance that neither of them would make it out of this battle alive. Bowing his head he knew that this was the end and he'd never know if Sakura had a child that he could pass the Uchiha name onto.
"Mister," a soft voice said.
His bleary eyes came up to see a small hooded figure. It must be a child he mused. He had this strange urge to reach out and touch the child's face. "Mister are you all right?"
The kid turned and started yelling for her mother. Before he blacked out he almost swore that he saw pink hair waving wildly in the wind.
Sasuke groaned as he rolled over. His entire body hurt like nothing else. There were bandages wrapped around his chest and arms. A large figure leaned against the wall clearly a woman. The smaller figure was cuddled in her arms asleep. Both women were black haired. When he looked down at the child she was awake. She squirmed softly as not to wake her mother and slid to the floor and moved towards him. She had no fear of him. Her eyes were the deepest green color that he had ever seen. He was reminded of Sakura yet again.
"What's your name?" she asked softly in a child-like curiosity.
"My name is Sasuke. What's yours?"
"I'm Saya."
Sasuke smiled softly.
"Saya, why did your mother help me?"
Saya put her finger to her chin in a thinking manner. Then she reached forward. Sasuke was confused until she tapped the metal of his headband. Sasuke had almost forgotten that he carried it still. He looked down at it and back up to the little girl. Confusion washed over him.
"Did your mother help me because I'm a ninja or because I'm from the Leaf?"
"Ummm… Leaf… Uncle Naruto always told me…"
"Uncle Naruto?"
"Yeah he said that mommy and I needed to go out for awhile."
"Does that mean Naruto is the Hokage?"
"Hokage?" Saya asked with a cute tilt of her head to the side. "What is Hokage?"
"It's the Leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."
"Uncle Naruto always wears this funny outfit."
She chuckled to herself as if remembering it. Sasuke felt the urge to go and see for himself and not to mention find Sakura. He tried to get up but two small hands were resting on his shoulder stopping him.
"Mommy said that you shouldn't move. You're hurt a lot."
"You should do as she says Sasuke before she gives you that look that makes you do what she says," a soft voice said from the corner.
He hadn't noticed the figure sitting in the corner. The blonde hair in a spiky disarray was a dead give away. Blue eyes met his midnight colored eyes. Naruto placed his fingers to his lips and gestured to the figure beside him. The hood she wore fell away to reveal a leaf headband situated behind her bangs. His heart clenched. He looked down at the child sitting near him with the eagerness like a puppy.
"Can I tell him now Uncle Naruto?" she asked.
"I don't know Saya, your mother might want to be awake before you say something."
Sasuke looked down at the girl she had a familiar displeased look on her face that reminded him of Sakura.
"How did you know where I was dobe?"
"Well teme I had a good contact. They informed me of the impending battle and I sent these two out ahead of me to find you."
"Why would you send Sakura and her Daughter out into a dangerous battle like that dobe?" Sasuke demanded.
"She insisted and Saya wouldn't be left behind, she's just as persistent as her mother."
Saya struggled up onto the bed and lay down beside Sasuke. He was a bit unnerved by this but he quietly accepted the affection. "She likes you already Sasuke."
Sasuke felt drowsy again and he laid down beside the girl and pulled her against his side and let sleep claim his weary mind.
Sakura woke slowly at Naruto's insistent poking. She blinked a few times letting her eyes adjust to the dimness of the room. What she saw made her heart soar with joy.
"Does he know?" she asked her blonde companion.
"Saya wanted to tell him but I told her not to. Sasuke's not stupid Sakura and I'm sure he caught on."
It was and adorable sight. Sasuke's bigger bandaged frame was wrapped around the smaller girl's. Her small hands were splayed over his open palmed hand resting in front of her. The illusion was fading from around Saya and her dark pink hair was draped over her shoulder. Her head was pillowed on his arm. It warmed her heart to see this.
"So what's the verdict Hokage?"
"Give him a few days to heal Sakura and then bring him back. I'll have time to think of a punishment for him for his leaving."
Sakura nodded before watching her family again. Naruto vanished from the room. Deciding it was time she let her illusion drop. Discarding her boots she moved onto the edge of the large bed and laid down facing the sleeping Uchihas. Even though Sakura and Sasuke had never married officially she gave her daughter the Uchiha last name. It was the only thing she could do for Sasuke had he died before she got there. Saya had been waiting to meet her father for the longest time and now the two of them were reunited. Sakura was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't feel the arm wrap around her waist and tug her forward until she had her daughter sandwiched between her and Sasuke.
"She's beautiful Sakura."
Sakura could only nod as tears began to flow from her eyes. His free hand brushed the tears away.
"I thought I was going to loose you there for awhile," she breathed softly.
"I made a silent promise a long time ago Sakura that I'd come back to you no matter what."
She smiled softly. Over top their daughter's head the two of them shared a gentle kiss. Between them a small little girl smiled in her sleep and curled closer to her parents. Sasuke knew that even if he had fallen Saya would have been the reason people would have missed him. He watched Sakura drift to sleep snuggled closely to her family. Sasuke knew that this wouldn't last forever as soon as they got back to Leaf he'd have to pay for his crimes, but for now he'd be happy with his family. At one point in his life he had lost hope in ever being able to complete the last part of his mission, but before him lay his beautiful lover and his daughter. He'd live with what he got and wouldn't dare to hope for more. Closing his eyes he let true sleep wash over him.