Human
By: Hoozuki
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"When the conspiracy of lies surrounding me demands of me to silence the one word of truth given to me, that word becomes the one word I wish to utter above all others."—Andre P. Brink
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Indefinite Leave of Absence
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7: 00 PM...
3rd of June...
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It was midsummer when Konohagakure no Sato was now in its hottest time of the year. Grocery stores were actually booming with customers trying to get the best watermelons and coconut juice and other summer foods to satisfy their cravings. Even the restaurants were getting some good business with customers and regulars too lazy to cook their own food in this sweltering heat. In spite of the burning humid weather, it was also the most fun time of the year for its inhabitants. The lakes were open all summer long for those wanting to go take a dip in the cooling waters. There were also many festivals celebrated during this time, so a lot more food stands were popping up here and there.
However despite the cheerfulness and ease that the village was experiencing, there was always some darkness lurking in the shadows. Konoha General Hospital and the cemetery were two such places for those who refused to acknowledge the warmth around them. But there was also the Hokage Tower where Tsunade was currently arguing with the council members. Down to her last drop of sake, the blonde Hokage slammed the bottle down somewhat violently to get the old crones to stop talking for a moment. Though, they have quieted, she noticed with her brown gaze that they were not intimidated with her behavior. In fact, they looked quite annoyed. But there was something else in their gaze: pity.
"Tsunade, we know how you feel about the child," Koharu started, sitting up straighter and jutting her chin out just a bit more. "But she is now a threat."
Hearing the statement that her student might be a threat made the Godaime snapped her glare up at them. "A threat?!" she repeated, grinding her teeth together sharply. "How is she a threat?! She is more loyal to the village than any other I've ever seen! How can you just—"
"Because she knows too much," came Danzo's raspy voice.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You think Sakura is going to sell out the village?"
The man made a contemplative hum, rubbing his chin while the others watched and waited for his reply. "No, but now the enemy can get to her just as easily now that she is incapable of protecting herself."
"Danzo is right, Tsunade," Homura sighed, leaning into his chair and folding his arms across his chest, his eyes closed. "We can't risk having such a liability."
"A liability? She's a human for god's sake! You can't—"
"Either you deal with it, Tsunade," Danzo cut her off sharply, his single eye staring her down. "Or we will. Your choice."
Tsunade couldn't say anything, her mind to numb to think about anything else. If they wanted her student to disappear, then she would have to make sure she'd disappear for good. Reluctantly, she nodded in compliance.
The three elders bobbed their heads once in satisfaction.
"You have until tonight."
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Absolute Departure
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Konoha General Hospital...
7: 30 PM...
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Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
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"You gotta try this new flavor with me, Sakura-chan!" exclaimed the ever optimistic shinobi as he placed the clear plastic cake cover on the bedside table. Taking a big exaggerated whiff, Naruto let out another excited loud sigh. "It smells awesome!" Cutting a small triangle for his best friend, the blonde glanced at Sai, Yamato, and Kakashi expectantly. "Do you guys want some, too? It's pretty good!"
"What flavor is it?" Yamato asked, not liking food with too much grease.
The Uzumaki blinked, forgetting the flavor until he saw the sticker on the plastic cover. "Ah! It's taro! Ino told me to get it for Sakura-chan," he answered, cake knife still in hand. "So?"
"Please," Sai responded politely, accepting the large piece of cake the blonde had sliced for him.
The other two silently held their hands out, making Naruto roll his eyes in slight annoyance. "I'm taking that as a yes then?" he assumed, but he gave them their share nonetheless. Once everyone had a piece, Naruto took a huge bite out of his and let out a very satisfied moan of happiness. "It's freakin good! Do you like it, Sakura-chan?"
The girl laughed at his simple enthusiasm. "Yeah; the sweetness is subtle—it's not bad," she replied with a shrug. She turned to Sai's direction. "How's yours?"
Sai smiled that strange smile of his. "It's delicious."
"Well, as much as I'd like to talk about the cake," Yamato drawled, placing the empty plate down—Naruto made a side comment on how quickly the man finished it. "But Sakura," the girl turned to him, "Will Tsunade-sama be able to heal you?"
"More importantly," Naruto interrupted with a mouthful, "When is she going to get out of the hospital? The festival is going to start in two days."
"Hmmm," Kakashi hummed, peeking above the rim of his book. "We'll ask Tsunade-sama when she gets here."
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Knock!
Knock!
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A soft two beat knock caught their attention as five heads swiveled towards the door. There stood Tsunade herself with a manila folder tucked underneath her arm, her countenance betraying nothing she felt at the moment.
"Tsunade-baachan! You want some cake?" Naruto burst out loudly.
Seeing the Uzumaki and his simplicity made the Hokage smile a little. "Not right now, Naruto," she answered before looking at Kakashi. "Kakashi, can you spare a minute?" the Godaime Hokage asked, but the look she gave told them he had no choice in the matter.
Grinning beneath the mask while trying to ignore the sudden rising tension, he glanced at his two students, noticing their grim expressions. "I'll be right back," he told them. "You guys enjoy yourselves."
Sliding the door shut behind him, the Jounin leaned against the wall, feeling himself succumb to the grief and guilt he felt whenever he was around his pink haired student. To his right, the Fifth Hokage was looking over the folder's contents in her hands.
"What's her prognosis?" the man questioned quietly, knowing that that was the reason for the woman's visit.
The blonde's expression shifted from cool authority to an uneasy grimace. "Not good," she said honestly, letting out an exhausted sigh while flipping her bangs from her face. "If I had gotten to her earlier, then I might have been able to do something. However, that poison nearly destroyed her body—it will take her a very long time to recover—if ever, but..."
Kakashi slammed a fist into the wall, catching a glimpse of his female student. There was a small soft smile on her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "She's not—"
"Actually, there's another reason why I'm here, Kakashi," Tsunade broke him off halfway, handing him the folder.
A single silver brow furrowed as the Jounin took the folder from her and flipped through the papers. His eye scanned through the information with quickness, widening as he got towards the end. Once he reached the last sheet, his hands slowly closed the folder, shutting away the contents.
"Is this real?"
She nodded once. "Very."
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Bam!
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"Dammit!" Kakashi swore angrily, his fist leaving a hole in the wall of the hospital. "I should've been there—then none of this would be happening!"
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Flashback
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Boom!
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The earth trembled from the ferocity of the explosion, shifting the layers of packed down dirt and mud this way and that, changing the entirety of the landscape as the earth jutted up from the ground. Trees were ripped from the foundations of their roots, toppling to the ground in large billowy clouds of dust and smoke. Birds flew away from the devastation of their homes while forest creatures fled in desperation from below. With the smoke and dust acting as a cover, it was difficult to see past and navigate through the rubble. Eyes and throats itched from irritation the debris caused as four pairs of feet treaded carefully while trying to move as quickly and quietly as possible.
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Whiz!
Whiz!
Whiz!
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The four shinobi swiftly dodged out of the way of the familiar sound of shuriken humming in the air.
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Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
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Each shuriken was effectively countered with flawless expertise as the team quickly got back on their feet, resuming the fast pace sprint they had earlier. The four of them were exhausted; they were on their way home after completing a horrible mission that was extended for another week due to an outbreak that their medic had to deal with before they could leave. While on their way back, the team was ambushed by a team of rogue Ame-nin. Now almost chakra depleted, the team was just trying to get away, hoping to shake off their pursuers.
"These guys just don't give up, do they?" Yamato growled, dodging another barrage of sharp projectiles before skidding to a sudden stop.
The three younger shinobi, too, paused to stare at him incredulously.
"Yamato-taichou! What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto shouted, his body being supported by Sai. "We have to get out of here!"
Ignoring the young man, the captain said, "Doton: Doryuuheki!"
And from the rubble sprang a large towering wall of earth, successfully blocking off their attackers. Once the two groups have been separated by the wall, Yamato laced his fingers together tightly, creating the seal of the snake and activating his next jutsu.
"Mokuton: Jukai Kotan!"
On the other side of the earthen barrier, screams and shouts were heard as trees emerged from the wall and ground, the branches catching on unsuspecting victims. Yamato fell forward to his knees, attempting to catch his breath. Immediately, the medic nin was by his side, checking his vitals.
Large green eyes grew even larger in alarm. Hoisting the man up with her remaining strength, she slung his arm around her small shoulders. "You can't use anymore chakra," the rosette ordered with a frown. "You'll die if you do."
The man said nothing, knowing that the Hokage's apprentice was right. Lifting his head, his blurry black eyes stared at each member of Team Kakashi. "Alright; our main and top priority is to get Naruto out of here," he stated authoritatively. "Do not stop no matter what."
The three other shinobi nodded once with determination etched on their young faces. "Hai!"
With that, all four were on the run once more. They didn't dare look back to see if the Ame-nin were still chasing after them. It wasn't worth the effort. All they had to concentrate on was getting to their village. Once they neared the village, reinforcements would certainly arrive if they couldn't get rid of the ninja themselves.
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Thump!
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Sakura bit back a hiss and opted for a twitch of her right eye and the automatic tightening of her abdomen when she jumped off the branch the wrong way, causing a dull throb of ache to radiate from the stab wound Sasori inflicted on her. It had been almost a month since then, yet the wound still caused her trouble. However, it was to be expected. The sword did run her through a vital organ and with poison coating it to boot. Even with Chiyo-baasama giving her the antidote and healing her, the wound would still take a while to mend. It was technically supposed to be healed by now, but what with everything that has been going on—meeting Sasuke, that Sora kid, all those missions she had been sent on to heal villages, and Naruto's random side missions Tsunade kept assigning him to keep him out of the Akatsuki's way—the young medic haven't really had a chance to fully recuperate properly. It was times like these—times when her mortality was always on the line and placed in front of her on a platter, ready to be snatched at any given moment—that she wished she was normal, that she wished she had taken another path that didn't involve the deaths of so many of her close and precious friends should she fail her missions.
But it was times like these that made her proud of the path she had chosen. She always hated how weak she was then, but now she was stronger and her friends knew they could always depend on her and her abilities. She just hoped that one day she could be as strong as her best friend, Naruto—to be able to face all the pain thrown her way with a strong and unwavering heart.
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Pit...
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Pit...
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Pit...
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Pit-pit-pit-pit-pit!
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What started off as a light drizzle suddenly became a heavy downpour. The smell of uprooted rotting trees was stronger, making their noses twitch. They were under the cover of the huge canopy above, so no one noticed it until Naruto cried out in pain and shock up ahead.
Sai halted, shifting the blonde to see what was wrong. "Doushita, Naruto?" the former ANBU asked, worry in his tone.
Sakura had placed their team captain against the trunk of a tree before hopping to the boys' branch when she felt an intense burning on her exposed arms. She yelped at the unexpected pain, falling to one knee by Naruto's feet.
"What happened?" Yamato called from his spot.
The two shinobi beside her dropped to her level, eyeing her for injuries.
"Sakura-chan?"
Gingerly shifting her arm, green eyes took notice of the red splotches decorating her arms. Immediately, she narrowed her gaze with scrutiny when a hunch crept into the back of her mind. Shooting forward from her crouched position, the young woman inspected the blonde's face and instantly found the same red splotches on his cheeks.
"These are burns," Sakura said to herself but the two teenagers already heard her.
"Burns?" the Uzumaki repeated, glancing this way and that to figure out what caused the burns.
All it took was for Sakura to tilt her head towards the downpour, and Sai quickly understood her. "The rain," he stated, and it was confirmed by a nod from the rosette.
Once spoken, the team was becoming aware of the environment around them. The tree trunks and leaves on the branches were being eaten away, dissolving from the center and edges while the rocks and boulders were being corroded into rounder and smoother surfaces.
"It feels heavier than normal rain," Sai pointed out, staring at the foggy rain.
"That's because it's laced with chakra," informed Yamato, now standing on his own two feet. "We need to get out of here quick! Everyone cloaks on!"
Not doubting the urgency in his voice, the members of Team Kakashi pulled on their cloaks, the hoods on to protect their faces from the corrosive rain. Once more, the team was on the run when another explosion sounded behind them. The scale and force of the explosion blasted each member apart, each slamming into a tree roughly.
"Gak!" Blood was pushed from her trachea as the impact completely fractured her cracked ribs, causing one to puncture her lung. Spitting the remaining irony fluid from her mouth, the medic struggled up from her position to assess the situation once the smoke cleared and she got her equilibrium back. The men of her group were blown farther back with her losing her grip on Yamato at some point during the attack. From where she sat, her gaze took notice of Naruto and Sai's state, and realized Sai had taken the brunt of the impact against the gigantic tree while the Jinchuuriki was sprawled across the branch. On their left was Yamato slouched forward, grasping his right arm.
Seeing her teammates' battered forms, the young woman clicked her tongue in frustration. There was no way they could outrun the rogue ninja any longer. If they weren't in such a weakened state, the team would have been able to take them on in a matter of seconds. However, the only option she was given was the only one she had left.
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Wheeeeew!
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Her ears picked up on the whistling through the thick acid rain instantly with her enhanced senses. She glanced at the others and found that they weren't reacting, still too dazed to reorient themselves. Silently swearing, the rosette promptly pushed herself to her feet, wobbling just a bit, and leaping with grace while pulling out her kunai from the holster to block the whirling metal blades.
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Clang!
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The boys tilted their heads up at the sounds of metal on metal only to see the back of their female teammate's figure in a defensive stance.
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Tak!
Tak!
Tak!
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"Tch! They're getting closer," Sakura mumbled, trying to calculate her team's best chance for survival.
'No,' she corrected herself with grimness underlying the tone of her thought. Sea foam eyes glanced over her shoulder at the two young men at her feet with something close to pained realization reflected in them. 'Not the team's survival—Naruto's survival.'
Knowing what she had to do, the medic spun to a crouch before her blonde friend, placing two fingers to his forehead.
With furrowed brows, Naruto barely squeezed out a "Sakura-chan" before she sent her chakra to his brain, stimulating the reticular formation to force the boy into an unconscious state. Right away, the Uzumaki slumped forward into her arms.
"Sakura, what are you doing?" Sai asked, taken off guard by her actions.
Ignoring his question, the young woman ordered hastily, "Summon your beasts, Sai!"
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Tak!
Tak!
Tak!
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"Demo—"
"Just do it, Sai!" she growled, leaping onto Yamato's branch, and slinging the man's arm around her shoulders. As soon as she returned a moment later, a large ink bird was perched on the branch with Sai and Naruto already situated. Without wasting any second, the girl used her inhuman strength to throw the bigger man on. The bird squawked in protest, but Sakura didn't notice.
It was then Sai became aware that the pink haired woman wasn't going to get on. "Aren't you getting on, Sakura?"
The sixteen year old stepped back, pulling out another kunai from her holster, a grave determination in her gaze. "Go," she ordered in a low tone, turning to face the direction the intruders would arrive. "Someone has to slow them down."
Sai hesitated, even though he knew that their chances lie better with leaving her since she had more chakra left than they currently did. However, after spending so much time with the duo, the former ANBU found himself wavering and torn. Logic said to leave, yet another foreign part of his brain—the part that was reawakened by Naruto and Sakura—said that they couldn't just abandon her because she was their friend and comrade.
"I can't," he protested, watching her deflect more incoming attacks. "Naruto—"
"Naruto," she interjected before wincing when she missed a kunai, having it lodge into her leg, "is our priority. If the enemy gets their hands on him, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. He still has his dream to be Hokage, Sai."
Still adamant, Sai was going to continue to deny her demand when a shower of needles rained down on them. The young man was forced to take immediate flight in order to get out of the way, leaving Sakura down below to defend for herself.
"Sakura!"
He could see her crouched silhouette through the haze the needle shower caused and felt instant relief when she shifted, indicating she was still alive. The bird hovered above the canopy of the trees; the acid rain that was pouring on them gave way. Sai waited until the smoke cleared, cautious of any movements made. Little by little, his onyx eyes slowly perceived the terrain and found the senbon spiking the trees, grounds, and bushes. And then he saw her, standing in the center of a broken crater, her form slouched forward. Her body was riddled with sharp throwing needles as thin tendrils of blood ran down her face, limbs, and trunk like living liquid. It seemed, from what he could tell, during the attack the Hokage's apprentice used her strength to send up boulders to block off some of the needles. But, by the looks of it, there was too many to defend against.
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Cough!
Thump!
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Sakura fell to her knees, her right hand covering her mouth until the coughing fit ceased. Pulling the hand away, through blurry watery eyes, she saw a splatter of blood contrasting against the black of her gloves.
"Heh! How do you like that poison of ours?" came a muffled voice from the shadows of the trees. "It attacks the Keirakukei, destroying any chance of recovery using chakra. A little girl like you wouldn't last five minutes."
The girl could barely move her head up to see four cloak clad individuals stepping forward before her. It was hard to tell what with her vision going bleary, but they looked like the typical Ame-nin with their bamboo hats and strange breathing apparatus. In the background, she heard Sai calling for her again.
"Go!" Sakura yelled, snapping her glare at the man, at the same time flicking her kunai at him hoping he'd get the point. "Go! It's Naruto they're after! I'll be fine! Go!"
Finally realizing that the woman could not be deterred from her suicidal decision, Sai regretfully nodded and took off with Naruto and Yamato.
But the enemy wasn't going to let them get away that easily. One of the Ame-nin tilted his head at Sai's bird—whom Sakura assumed was the leader; and two, without question, faded out to go after them while the leader and a shorter nin stayed behind to deal with her. Sakura, however, saw this coming and wasn't going to let them anywhere near her friends. Rapidly unsheathing her tanto and yanking a few senbon from her throat, fusing her chakra into the weapons to control their trajectory, Sakura let them fly to where she saw the shinobi materialize in the sky, praying she got them in time. True to their mark, the weapons hit their intended targets—the short blade of the tanto was driven into the back of one skull while each senbon hit a vital nerve on the other body. Both bodies dropped with heavy lifeless thumps, no longer moving.
Turning her face away, Sakura forced her expression to stay cooled and controlled, not allowing any sadness or regret to enter her fierce glare. She steeled her eyes as she redirected her glare at the remaining two. In the meantime while they were still distracting by the deaths of their two members, she forced her chakra to circulate her entire system in an attempt to purge her body of the poison that was gradually eating away her insides. A smirk curled her blood stained lips, seeing and eyeing the astonishment in their eyes.
"Doushita?" she called out gruffly, the itching bubbling feel of blood in the back of her throat cutting her off short. "You're not scared of a little girl, are you?" she chuckled mockingly at them. Normally, she would never act like this, preferring to spare her enemy as much as she could. But it wasn't just Naruto's life on the line. It was Konoha's as well. If she could give them enough time to escape by throwing away her emotions and becoming a shinobi, then that was what she will do.
She'll become a shinobi.
The smaller of the two Ame-nin leaned into the taller man and whispered nervously that she could clearly hear, "What are you going to do? It doesn't seem like the poison's working!"
The taller man stared at the rosette for a moment, trying to remember the details his team was given to capture the Kyuubi. They said to be wary of his companions especially the two other men, but there was nothing on the pink haired woman in front of them. At that exact moment, he noticed green chakra emanating from her hands. It was then he remembered hearing about the Hokage's apprentice, that she might surpass her with her strength and healing abilities. Slowing taking in the destroyed forest, it all clicked.
He snorted smugly. "This woman is the Hokage's apprentice," the man spoke loudly so she could hear. "Koroku, go after the Kyuubi. This woman is mine."
Green eyes narrowed at the proclamation.
"Are you sure, Gorou?" the little man, Koroku, questioned doubtfully. "She is the Hokage's apprentice."
Gorou only chuckled. "Don't waste time worrying about me," he reprimanded lightly. "Now hurry up after them."
"H-Hai!"
The little Ame-nin hastily leapt into the air with his umbrella pulled from his back; but, Sakura was faster. The rosette was already airborne posed with her right leg extended upwards. When he was in front of her, Sakura drove the heel of her foot with as much force she could muster into the back of the man's skull, cracking the occipital lobe and shooting him back to the ground ferociously, his body moving as a blur. The moment she dropped to her feet, she fell once more to her knees coughing and panting. She didn't realize exerting that much chakra would cause her to be so exhausted as her throat burn from the blood being forced out. Tired eyes glanced briefly at the fallen shinobi with one look, and she knew he was dead. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.
A loud boisterous laughter pulled her from her morbid thoughts to reality, reminding her that she was still with the enemy.
The last Ame-nin, Gorou, looked at her with a wild expression, the whites of his eyes extremely wide. "You truly are strong, Ojousan," he complimented, but in a tone that somehow seemed mocking to her. "Da ga...I'm sorry to say that I cannot fight you; I really need to capture your friend for my country to have peace."
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"Keh!" she coughed again, her eyes wincing closed.
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Splat!
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Drip...
Drip...
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On shaky legs, the medic nin took her offensive stance, a coldness glinting in her normally warm eyes. "Then I won't make this easy for you," she replied raspily, feeling her strength waning. "If you want Naruto, then you're just going to have to go through me first."
Gorou lowered himself into a low crouch, his lips curling into a grin behind the mask. "With pleasure..."
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"Hmmm..."
Bright blue eyes cracked open, unable to further go wider due to the sharp winds and gusts against his face. With the whistling of the wind around him, it felt like they were going somewhere fast. But he didn't know where. In fact, he couldn't remember anything. The last thing he could recall was Sakura touching his forehead.
He shot up, his instincts screaming to find out about his pink haired teammate.
Was she safe?
Was she hurt?
"Whoa there!"
Naruto was stopped, an arm around his shoulders to keep him from toppling to his death off of Sai's ink creation. Turning about gradually, feeling blood rush to his head too fast, he only saw Sai and Yamato. Blonde brows furrowed in confusion. He looked in all directions and did not see his pretty rosette friend. His heart was now beating erratically and his stomach churned in too many directions at the sullen expressions on his comrades' faces.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, making sure his voice wouldn't crack. "Sakura-chan wa?"
The two former ANBU only averted their eyes from his.
"Sakura-chan wa?" he repeated, his voice a slight octave higher.
Yamato took an uneasy deep breath; taking a good iron grip on the teen's shoulders and looking directly at him. "Naruto, I need you to first take slow breaths," the man instructed carefully as if he was going to snap and attack them.
Naruto glanced at Sai for reassurance.
He had the same look.
Shaking his yellow head and brushing Yamato's hands off him, he reiterated once more, but he didn't bother keeping in his panic this time. "Yamato-taichou, where's Sakura-chan?"
"Naruto—"
"WHERE'S SAKURA-CHAN, DAMMIT?!"
Sighing, wordlessly, the Jounin stared melancholically behind him.
Glowering deeper, the blonde was aggravated that Yamato refused to tell him where his teammate was. "What the fuck are you looking at?!" he snapped, twisting around to see what had the brunette's full attention than his demand.
And then he saw it.
A large plume of smoke in the distance dominated the horizon as a brown haze flooded the base of the mushroom shaped cloud, hiding the mass of trees below.
Seeing the destruction beyond, he recognized her work instantly. Anger immediately filled him just as his brain finally registered what they did. Whirling around and briskly taking hold of the Jounin's vest, the Jinchuuriki brought his face close to the wood user.
"Did you abandon Sakura-chan?! Did you just fucking leave her behind?! Hah?!" Naruto shouted in his face, shaking him back and forth.
"We had no choice!"
Hearing Sai yell was rare enough to snap Naruto out of his rage momentarily as he stared at the man wide eyed. "What do you mean?"
The black haired man lowered his head in shame. "When we were attacked, I tried to convince her to come with us; but she refused," Sai explained his story, his fists tightening unconsciously. "She said she wouldn't have forgiven herself if you got caught."
"So you thought it was okay to leave her?" the Uzumaki accused.
"Like I said, we had no choice," Sai repeated himself. "She had retaliated when I flew to get her." After that, silence fell on them like a dark curtain.
Naruto looked back at the vaporized forest behind him for a few seconds. "Sai, turn back."
The said teen shot his head up, eyes wide. "What?"
"Turn back."
"Naruto, we can't," Yamato interjected. "You're what the enemy's after. We can't go back."
Still not looking at them, the Uzumaki said lowly, "Either we go back together or I go alone."
Sai shared a look with his fellow former ANBU; and when the man gave a reluctant nod, he turned his bird around, heading towards the way they were just fleeing. The team arrived to the scene in no time. There, the men found that the forest was no longer present. It was a bit difficult to breathe what with the awful smell filling the air and their nostrils. The closer to the ground they got, the more they could see a large dark mass taking up the entire barren field. By the time the bird landed, it disappeared in a splash of ink.
"What the hell is that thing?" Naruto shouted out with no tact whatsoever.
Before them laid the huge unidentifiable mass. It was an amphibian of some sort with a round mouth that reached its beady eyes. With the way it looked, to Naruto, it reminded him of a large tadpole except with legs.
"This is the giant black salamander," the Jounin informed, closely examining the creature. "It's native to Amegakure, and it's poisonous with a very potent venom. But, by the looks of it, it won't be causing anymore harm. I'm surprised she was able to withstand the noxious gas it puts out."
Reminded of the reason why they were there in the first place, Naruto began hopping from boulder to boulder, screaming for the kunoichi.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan, where are you?!"
While yelling and shouting about, the boy tripped over something soft, almost slamming his face into a pointed rock. Looking down, his ninja brain kicked in, bringing him to a squat when he found that it was a human body he stumbled over. The lifeless body was lying face down; however, the teen could see his vertebra protruding from the torn flesh and shiny red muscle.
"I found a dead body over here, but it's definitely not Sakura-chan," he announced out loud over his shoulder, letting the others know what he had discovered.
On the other side by the edge of the rubble, Sai shouted, "Same here, two more Ame-nin." Once the blonde and brunette were beside him, Sai continued to say, "These two were killed by Sakura. They were heading after us when she stopped them."
"Let me see the senbon in that one," Yamato ordered, pointing to the body that looked like a human porcupine. Minding the point of the needle, he found a light green residue on the thin metal along with a subtle scent of something close to ammonia. "These senbon were dipped in poison." Turning to Sai, he questioned, "Was she hit with one?"
The young man nodded silently.
"We need to find her now," he said urgently, leaping off to search for the rosette.
Not wasting time, the two boys split up, searching the huge terrain for any signs of pink.
Naruto tried to calm his frantic heart from bursting from his ribcage while searching high and low for his friend. It was already bad enough that they failed to bring Sasuke back the last time, but if Sakura died; Naruto wasn't sure if he could go on. Losing one friend was bad already, but losing two friends was the worst. The boy was just about to give up when he caught something bright from his peripheral. Snapping his head to the right, he didn't notice anything at first until he saw something underneath the shade of a tree beside the field, untouched by the destruction. He ran faster, deciding it was worth looking into. The closer he got, the more he could differentiate his friend from the bushes around her. Once near, Naruto had to fight off the vomit he could feel coming up his esophagus. He felt like it was his first mission all over again. Sprawled across the thick large roots of the tree was the last original member of Team Seven covered in blood and senbon. Immediately, the image of Sasuke covered in senbon flashed through his mind. And what happened after that, he recalled clearly, had made him go into Kyuubi mode for the first time. However, with Sakura severely injured, Naruto steeled himself so he wouldn't lose control like last time.
Walking quietly as though she might wake up and yell at him, the Uzumaki gently lifted her, mindful of the needles in her skin. Her hair was loose, shielding her face from his; her hitai-ate must have fallen off somewhere during battle. She groaned from the movement, making Naruto's chest spread with immense relief.
Shifting her hair from her face, he said, "Sakura-chan, yokattatebayo! You're alright!" He turned to scream over his shoulders. "Sai! Yamato-taichou! I found Sakura-chan!"
"I found her hitai-ate!" Sai shouted back.
On the other side of the salamander, Yamato yelled back, "Alright—be right over!"
With a large grin on his face, the blonde turned his full attention back on the girl when he saw her face. He felt blood drain from his face as he took in the red flowing from her tightly clenched eyelids.
"No, no, no," he repeated the word, his hands grasping her shaking ones. "It'll be okay, Sakura-chan."
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sai asked, coming up to stand over him. Leaning over the blonde's shoulder, Sai saw what Naruto did and fell silent.
Yamato arrived at that same moment. Seeing their solemn faces, Yamato inwardly curse as he walked around the pair, grabbing the medic from Naruto's arms as gently as he could. As soon as his eyes landed on her pale countenance, he clicked his tongue frustrated. "Shit," he muttered, sweeping the girl into his arms, and turning to Sai.
"We need to get to Konoha now."
Sai already had his bird ready, not needing Yamato to tell him that this was an emergency. Once aboard, he urged his bird to fly as fast as it could towards the village where Sakura spent the next week in recovery.
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End Flashback
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"Isn't there any way to stop this from happening?" Kakashi asked, not being able to help himself despite knowing there were no more chances.
Tsunade sighed. "They gave me until tonight."
At this, the man perked up. "Then we can—"
The woman nodded. "That's what I'm thinking, but we have—"
"Kakashi-sensei! Shishou!"
The sound of their beloved student's voice reached them, ceasing their grim conversation as the two reentered the patient's room. Kakashi had to avert his eye, not being able to take seeing her eyes being covered with gauze.
"What is it, Sakura?" Tsunade asked in a tone too soft even for her.
"I know it's hopeless for me," the rosette responded in a surprisingly calm voice, the compassionate smile still in place. "You don't have to lie to me. I know as well as you do: I have no chance of recovering."
At this Naruto's façade broke away, his nervousness and anxiety pushing through. "Don't say that, Sakura-chan!" he scolded with a shaky laugh, grasping her hand tightly more for his own comfort than her own. Looking at the Hokage imploringly, he said, "You can save her like you did for Gejimayu. Just heal her like you always do! I know you can do it, Tsunade-baachan!"
By this point, the smile was gone from her face while she listened to her best friend go on and on. "Naruto, stop it," Sakura told him softly. "It's no use."
"But Sakura-chan, if you just let—"
"Naruto, just stop it! Don't you get it?" she snapped, ripping her hands from his. "I can't ever be a ninja again! I'll be a liability to you, and I refuse to be that helpless little girl again! So we all know what has to be done!" She snapped her gaze to where she could feel her master's chakra. "There's another reason why you're here, Shishou."
Kakashi stared at the woman while everyone but Naruto got what Sakura had meant. Still, no one wanted to say anything, the subject being too grim.
Since no one was willing to bring it up, Sakura went on, "I'm a threat to the village now."
"What?! How?!"
Sakura sighed. "I know everything there is, and I'm also the Hokage's apprentice—I've had access to top secret jutsu and information. In my present state, I can't even defend myself and the enemy will try to steal information I know now that I'm incapacitated." Sakura could feel the tension in the room building higher and higher, her ears picking up on the heavier breathing around her. "You have to kill me, right, Shishou?"
Now that the secret was out, there was no point in denying it. "The council has ordered for your death. I'm sorry, Sakura," the Godaime admitted apologetically.
Naruto felt like his breath was knocked out from him. "You're kidding, right? Just because she can no longer be a shinobi they're going to kill her?" he questioned in disbelief. "What about all the good she did for the village?! Did that not count for anything?! You have to stop this, Baachan!"
"There's nothing I can do!" she growled. "It's either I do it or they'll assassinate her."
"Root," Sai concluded; and by the looks of the Godaime's face, he was right.
Naruto was shaking his head madly now. "No, no! That is not an option," Naruto automatically disagreed, leaving no room for argument. "No way is that happening, Sakura-chan! That's such bullshit! You and I are supposed to bring that Teme back home together, remember?!"
Sakura smiled bitterly. "Well, that's a pipe dream now," she said sadly, turning to his general direction. "It can't be helped, though. We are ninja, Naruto. It's an occupational hazard. We do whatever it takes to protect the village."
"But to have you die like this just isn't—"
"Naruto, Sakura's right," Tsunade spoke firmly, surprising the young man as well as the other men in the room. Sakura remained silent. "She knows too much; and to the council, she is a threat if caught. If she isn't dealt with tonight, they'll send their own to kill her."
Cerulean eyes fell crestfallenly. "There's nothing we can do at all?"
Tsunade shook her head. "No, I'm sorry." Taking her pupil's seemingly fragile hand in her own, she gave an 'I'm sorry' squeeze. "Forgive me, Sakura."
Despite knowing her fate had already been decided by the shinobi system, Sakura wasn't mad, merely sad and disappointed. "It's alright, Shishou," she assured. "It's for the greater good, right?"
Tsunade inwardly groaned, wanting to tell Sakura more; however, she knew Danzo had his men everywhere and she didn't want him to know what was going on. Stepping away, she said, "I'll give you the rest of the night to say your goodbyes. Kakashi, you'll escort Sakura to the basement when you're done."
Kakashi nodded once in understanding.
"Arigato, Shishou," Sakura thanked just before her teacher left.
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Untold Disappearance
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12: 00 AM...
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Kakashi was walking slowly with his student's hand hooked around the inside of his elbow. She was quiet beside him, not speaking a word since Naruto and the others left. He wondered she was thinking—if she was scared of what was to come. Though, he doubted it. After seeing how strong of a young woman she had become, no longer standing on the side lines, he could see that she was ready to face anything. Somewhat was sad that he hadn't paid her much attention, he was still proud of her and wished that he did spend more time with her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do so much after tonight.
"What's wrong?" came her soft voice beside him.
His silver brow lifted slightly at the inquiry. "What do you mean?"
Her lips curled. "I can feel your pulse accelerating," she answered, and tilted her head up at him as if staring intently. "Are you disappointed?" she tilted her head back down. "I am. I thought I'd die in battle alongside Naruto and one day Sasuke-kun. It's a little embarrassing actually."
"Embarrassing?"
Sakura nodded, her hair getting longer as she used her other hand to move the strands from her cheek. "Yeah, after all the training and hell I went through, and now I'm going down like this," she told him honestly, chuckling a little before the smile fell away and her hand grasped his arm strongly. "I'm scared, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi felt his heart go out to her, wanting to tell her the Godaime's plan; but even he wasn't sure what it was. Squeezing her hand, he murmured softly, "Don't be; I'll be there with you."
She shook her head. "I'm not scared for me, but for Naruto. He's such an idiot I'm sure he'll do something stupid, hurting himself again." Her bottom lip trembled a bit and she bit down on it to keep herself from breaking down. "I wanted—more than anything—to see Naruto fulfill his dreams—to see him become Hokage and be acknowledged by everyone and to see Sasuke-kun back home, at least one more time. But I guess that won't be happening anytime soon."
Before they knew it, the two of them were at the basement level, standing in the dark hallway in front of the door that would lead to her end. Taking a good grasp on the door handle, Kakashi slid it open, flooding the hallway with a bright white light.
Tsunade was standing in the center of the room with an examination bed underneath the only lamp. "Well...let's get you on the bed," Tsunade said awkwardly as she watched the Jounin lead her pupil to the middle of the room. After Kakashi helped Sakura on the bed, the Godaime hooked a heart monitor onto the girl, and the steady sound of her heartbeat filled the empty cold room. Tsunade apologized once more. "I wish there was another way than this, Sakura, I really do."
Sakura smiled again. "It's alright. I understand." She took a deep breath, and released a short exhale, chuckling nervous until her brave façade gave away to broken sobs. The white cloth over her eyes darkened to gray from tears leaking through.
The man's eye closed sadly, listening to her silent cries while squeezing her hand. "Don't worry," he told her. "You'll see us soon."
"Pfft! Hopefully not too soon, sensei," Sakura snorted, taking in more shallow breathes to calm her breathing.
Tsunade formed several seals before her right hand glowed blue instead of green. "It'll be like sleeping," she assured her student, taking Sakura's free hand. When the girl fell silent, Tsunade brought her hand over the rosette's heart, using her chakra to force her heart to slow down.
Both adults stared at the monitor, watching the peak of each beat move lower and slower.
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Beep!
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Beep!
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Beep!
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Beep!
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Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
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Everlasting Farewell
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Two weeks later...
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Inhale...
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Exhale...
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Inhale...
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Exhale...
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Eyes snapped open.
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Sword drawn.
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Slice!
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Sword sheathed.
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Eyes closed.
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Thunk!
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Thunk-thunk!
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Thunk!
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His eyes opened to observe his work. In the dark room lit only by a single candle stood several wooden dummies all sliced perfectly in the same angle. There was not one dummy with one splinter out of place. On the floor laid the top half of the dummies where they fell, the bottoms completely flat and smooth. Obsidian orbs narrowed as an image of Uchiha Itachi materialized before him. An electric current encircled his entire body before shooting out to the remaining dummies, the wood bursting into millions of tiny splinters.
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Knock!
Knock!
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The door to the training room opened just a crack to allow a sliver of gold light in until it was cut off by a dark shadow. "Sasuke-sama," called a nervous Otonin from behind the door. "Orochimaru-sama requests your presence in the main hall."
Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, his Sharingan whirling threateningly, at the shinobi for disturbing his training. "Leave."
"H-Hai," the man stuttered, backing away and shutting the door quietly.
The Uchiha turned back to the demolished dummies, his rage fading away. The young man sighed, not really wanting to go see the Sannin. However, if he didn't go now, then Kabuto would come bother, and then he would be even more irritated. Deciding to see the man now rather than later, Sasuke exited the training room and took on a snail like pace to the main hall where he was supposed to have his lunch with Orochimaru. He didn't know what it was, but for the past two weeks he felt uneasy and more annoyed at every little thing than normal.
It all started on the third when his cup of tea suddenly cracked on the side. They said when a ceramic cup did that, then something bad had occurred. Not really one for superstition, Sasuke ignored it until he started getting nightmares of his family's massacre again. It was strange, he thought. Sure he got nightmares, but not one as vivid as the one he had earlier this week. This nightmare was very similar to the ones he got during his first year alone. But maybe he was just imagining it. Or maybe it was his recent encounter with his old teammates.
Sasuke shook his head. There was no point in thinking about those people. They only slow him down, held him back from his true goal. Breaking bonds was the only way to be strong.
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Clack!
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"Ah, Sasuke-kun, you're here!" Orochimaru greeted him in a pleasant tone. "But you weren't on time, so I started without you."
Sasuke said nothing as he took a seat at the end of the table while a tray of different foods was set in front of him by one of the servants. It was a little unnerving at first, having people served him his food and tend to his whims; however, that nervousness died out a while ago even though there was still a speck within him that was disgusted with slavery. Wordlessly, he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and began eating, not even bothering to speak to the man. He didn't really taste the food in his mouth anymore. He just shoved them all in, hoping to get the lunch done and over with. He didn't understand why Orochimaru insisted on them having lunch together, considering there was really never anything to talk about. But since the man had requested him this time, he was sure the Sannin had a purpose. After all, he wasn't really one for small talk.
After ten minutes, his tray was empty as he placed his bowl down and his chopsticks across the diameter. He drank a bit of the tea, not paying any mind to the blandness of it. Once done, he stood up, walking towards the door when Orochimaru suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
"Kabuto told me he had some interesting news," the Sannin informed him, the 's' sliding off his tongue smoothly. "You should stick around to hear it."
"If it's not about my brother, I'm leaving," Sasuke responded.
Just then, Kabuto appeared with a stack of rolled up newspaper tucked under his arm with a cup of assumingly Orochimaru's medicine. The medic nin noticed the Uchiha leaving through the doors and smirked.
Pushing up the bridge of his glasses, Kabuto slyly said, "I think you should stay for this, Sasuke-kun. There's something about your old teammates circulating the nations."
"Those people mean nothing to me," the brooding young man said. "They were only a hindrance."
"Well then," Orochimaru drawled, flipping through the pages before setting it down to show the main article on the front page. "You should be happy to know that one of your former teammates is dead." Orochimaru casually picked at his nails while gauging the boy's reactions from beneath his lashes.
Sasuke was stock still, eyes glaring at the hallways beyond the doors.
A smile curled at the corner of his lip. "I heard it was the Hokage's apprentice; but...the Hokage's apprentice," he glanced at Kabuto, "wasn't she his teammate?" The medic nin nodded. "What was her name, Kabuto?"
Kabuto had to hand it to Orochimaru. The man was indeed cruel, always poking and prodding every button the Uchiha got. "Haruno Sakura, Orochimaru-sama."
The man clapped in realization. "That's right! The little pink haired girl we saw about a month ago!"
Sasuke's hands unconsciously turned into fists, trying to control his anger.
"You know they said that she was destined to surpass Tsunade, but now she's dead." He shrugged half-heartedly. "It's too bad really; she was becoming a rather famous and talented shinobi."
With all of that being said, Orochimaru allowed the information to sink into the young man's brain. He wanted to know how the Uchiha would react if he knew one of his teammates had died. Had he become heartless enough? Did he still hold on to those bonds—whether consciously or subconsciously? Did he still care about those people?
His spiky black head tilted back with eyes filled with disinterest. "Was that all?"
The smile that began as a smirk grew wider. "You're dismissed."
Sasuke nodded and left the main hall silently.
When he was gone, Kabuto asked, "What do you think?"
"He still cares," Orochimaru stated with absolution. "That or he was annoyed as usual."
Kabuto chuckled. "I suppose we'll find out later."
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Timeless Parting
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Tak!
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Tak!
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Tak!
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His feet had brought him to the door of his room; however, his body froze. His eyes stared distantly at the wood, not really seeing it.
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Click!
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The door swung open revealing a rather empty room with nothing personal to liven it up a touch. Not bothering to light up a candle, Sasuke shut the door, went to his bed, and sat down in the darkness. Without realizing it, he recalled the encounter he had with his old team last month. It seemed everyone had changed as well, and not just him. He wasn't blind. As much as he would like to say he hadn't changed, Sasuke knew he had. He knew that the moment he saw them again. The way his mind and heart felt nothing for them; the way he had attacked without a second thought; and when Sakura was revving up to retaliate and he had turned ready as well—he knew he had change. Whether for the better or the worst—he didn't really want to ponder on that. He actually wondered though if he would've really attack her, harm her in some way like he did with Naruto.
He always heard people don't know what they're capable of until they're put in that situation. He wasn't really sure if he was actually put in the situation though since that man came to her defense. Of course, he was somewhat amazed that she was brave enough to charge him in the first place.
But that still left the question:
Would he really have killed her?
With his own hands?
Sasuke sighed heavily before walking out of his bedroom.
He had been indoors for far too long. All of that musky earthy smell in enclosed spaces was making him think about things he didn't need to be thinking. He needed to get out and get some fresh air or he was going to go insane like Orochimaru being all cooped up like that. Once outside, the Uchiha took in a deep breath, relishing the fresh scent of grass. Before when he first came to Orochimaru, the man had him on twenty-four hour watch, afraid that he might run off. So every time he went outside, some Otonin would try to stop him. However, after two and a half years, they learned better to not ask and stop him anymore. Otherwise, they'd suffer from his short temper and wrath.
The young man grunted, caught off guard by the bright sunlight as he tried to block it with the back of his hand. Gradually his pupils adjusted to the harsh light as he slowly fully opened his eyes to notice sun's rays filtering through the vibrant green leaves. Seeing healthy flourishing trees and flowers all around, Sasuke was suddenly hit with a strong nostalgia for home. It was perhaps one of the few things he missed about home was the vitality of the forest around them. There was always life blossoming here and there, be it big or small. He noticed the birds in their nests, the squirrels jumping from treetop to treetop until his feet brought him a ways from the underground base to a lake beyond the woods. The edge of the large crystal clear lake was line with cherry blossoms while the water reflected light blue green shine. Why he never found this place before was beyond him.
Stepping slowly and quietly as if he was afraid his presence would disturb the tranquility established there, Sasuke walked until he was next to the cherry tree that was dipping its roots into the bank of the lake. Sitting on one of the curling roots, he inhaled the light fragrance of the flowers, allowing the wind to sway his hair in every direction. For the first time since he left the village, Sasuke felt content. There was nothing on his mind. He felt no anger, no sadness...nothing.
The wind blew harder this time, causing millions of light pink petals to be ripped from their dark branches like a whirling pink storm. It made the strangest image in his mind like the trees were crying. It was raining cherry blossoms.
At that moment, the words echoed in his head, repeating over and over and over like a record stuck on a certain verse. Suddenly, his content feeling was overwhelmed with a heaviness in his heart that he hasn't felt since his family's death. It was uncomfortable; the tightening of his chest made it difficult to breathe. More gusts of winds encircled him as his hands clenched tighter to keep that emotion out of his heart. When the breeze slowed to a more calming pace, his hand opened to reveal a single crushed petal.
Obsidian eyes dimmed, head dropped back against the trunk, hands fell lifelessly against the ground. All that filled his vision was pink while one phrase repeated in his head.
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'Haruno Sakura is dead...'
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"The human contribution is the essential ingredient. It is only in the giving of oneself to others that we truly live."—Ethel Percy Andrus
So I'm a total moron. Even though I said I'd focus on the other stories first, I couldn't help myself.
I read this one story a while ago-like many moons ago-and the author just totally stopped!
And WHAT IS UP WITH aNdreaa taking off her account?! I freakin love her and now I can't read her stories -cries in corner of woe-
Anyways, I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so here it is! I'm sure many of you have read stories as similar as this, BUT! I will be the one to finish it, damn it! So sick of cliffhangers! Also, I love the whole humanness idea as well. This story was definitely inspired by Ellie Goulding's "Human." So this fic was born!
The song links for "Radio" have been updated. Hopefully it works and the site won't be a boob about it.
Anyways, please be kind and review. For this story, I really do want to hear your responses since everyone else totally bombed this theme!
Have a happy holidays if I don't update sooner. PS: I gained a buttload of turkey weight -drops head in shame-
Sincerely,
Hoozuki
