inspired by: Kagome Yuki Niwa, KibaSin, KarasuKimi
because crossovers are good.
Disclaimer. We already know this isn't mine, aside from the plot of course. I just couldn't help myself with this idea. So, onwards!
Sounds in the Dark
Summary:
AUish.
Against the dark backdrop of misery that defines Otogakure, Sasuke gets as close to love as he's ever going to get.
Her eyes glow in the darkness and her voice is a low murmur of air filling his lungs. He wants to touch her, she's so mesmerizingly solemn. Lost and embittered. "Hell is here, in our own cozy little niche called Sound and hope is our water because in Sound there isn't enough of it."
SxK
T.
1
o0o
.reconnecting.
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When Sasuke makes his way back to Konoha, bloodied and worn, and with a newly acquired mangekyou sharingan, the chuunin gatekeepers rush to call the Hokage and Naruto is the one to catch him when he passes out from blood loss.
He wakes up to find himself in a hospital with Sakura bent over him, hands the colour of a soothing green. Kakashi claps his shoulder comfortingly, but the action seems redundant and he's not quite sure he made the right choice.
But then again, he has nowhere else to go.
So four years later, here he is. Nineteen, and someone who should know better. Here he is. Square one. Back in the same village he left behind. It's different now from when he left it, with the less than favourable circumstances and the addition of new faces both physical and inanimate.
The Hokage Mountain looks more crowded, he thinks, the solemn features of stone staring back at him—unflinching. When did that happen?
There are familiar things too though. Like the crackedvibrantagedmatures faces of trademark buildings gone vintage, former worshippers set straight—there goes Ino hanging off Shikamaru's arm—former classmates that don't give a shit—a lie, because he remembers Naruto and Sakura, faces lit up at the sight of his battered self—and the teachers that failed—except he never blamed Kakashi.
And then there are the villagers, with eyes like vultures and opinions switching at the toss of a coin.
The same people that used to look at him and see a hope embodied in a lineage of eyes the colour of flames and blood.
And now he sits here.
The hospital room is dark. And the thought keeps echoing in his head, carving the facts into his conscience. He's basically in jail despite the white washed walls. He's losing track of days.
He's pale, paler than usual. Trembling. Alone. And deep down inside, maybe a little afraid. But there goes that pride again, and he sits up straighter against the wall. There's phantom grime, dirt, old sweat and blood—that he thought he ran out of—the feel so engrained in his skin that he feels the weight of it all despite his clean complexion and fresh hospital clothes...
For a moment, one single moment, he thinks of Otogakure and the endless rice fields. He remembers and drifts into a fitful slumber. And in his conscience there is her, fallen and tragic like him, but untouchable.
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He dreams every night, of reaching out for something that shouldn't be, something he doesn't deserve and has no right wanting. Still, he sits at night, awaiting for sleep to grasp him in it's clutches. And then...
She has blue eyes, like Naruto. But darker, with a little more turmoil—
Oh...right, what was he thinking about again?
Naruto and Sakura have yet to visit him after their initial meeting. But as he's lost track of time, he holds onto the thought that maybe they'll be coming one of these days even though he won't know what to say to them. But their presence will be a reprieve because their team had always been a sanctuary to forget. And fuck, he'd really just like to forget everything right about now.
Forgetting is much harder than people would think. Sasuke should know, he's spent the worser majority of his life attempting it and failing just like everything else that's meant so much to him and that he tried so hard at...except for the one thing he now regretted.
Itachi's dea—except he doesn't finish the thought, because really he's already forgotten and silence isn't good for his peace of mind, especially not in the dark as he is put in the less used area of the hospital.
The dark makes him think to entertain himself, except for the fact that all his thoughts are memories and all his memories are sad excuses of attempted family and friendship. In essence, all the times that happiness has slipped away unnoticed.
"you're afraid," she says, the candle flickers. he wonders why he's so angry with her afterward.
In the privacy of his mind, he thinks to himself that she's wrong.
she catches him off guard, blood drips from a fine slash on his cheek.
Except of course, when she's right.
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He's sure a couple of days or maybe even weeks have passed because he's now catalogued all the different chakra signatures of the ANBU guards that secretly check up on him and can even recognize them by mask. He could possibly guess at their true identity if he really wanted to, except for the fact that he might need his sharingan to see through their hiding places and Tsunade was very specific about her restrictions.
She doesn't seem to like him much.
"hell i even hate you," she laughs like it's normal. except it isn't, and he doesn't think he should be thinking about her.
And he doesn't think it'd be smart to show them those eyes that Konoha now calls 'cursed'. Despite his Uchiha pride, he has to admit...the power they give and the consequences entailed really are fucked up. What with the insanity and all, and hearing voices in your head...
And that's coming from him.
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Maybe, he should've at least tried to force down the food the hospital gave him.
Sasuke thinks that maybe the hunger has finally gotten to him. Or maybe it's the dark, secluded space they put him in or the lack of social exchange. Whatever it is, he can't sleep anymore. Because when he sleeps, he dreams of her. And dreaming of her is never a good thing because seeing her face in his sleep shouldn't seem so uplifting—it shouldn't inspire such confusing feelings from him.
And it definitely should not hurt the way it does to hear her voice and feel her touch, to see her eyes or run his fingers through her hair only to wake up and realize it was just a dream. That she wasn't there with him, to challenge, to argue, to fight with. He doesn't miss her, because he never cared about her. Because she was just there.
But he still dreams of her.
He can still recall past conversations, arguments, fights. The way her hair looked when it was down, the way she held her weapons and polished her swords. The slight, subtle tilt of her mouth when she smiled. The scar on her hip. The insignia of Oto shining bitterly upon her brow.
Fuck, Sasuke thinks to himself and tries to focus on the growling of his stomach instead.
Being in the hospital is a place for healing and moving on for all intents and purposes, instead though, Sasuke feels like he's in a prison.
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He hears her laughter in his head, a string of melodic notes put together, it beats in his head. He remembers the feel of her smile against his fingertips and—damn it. Damn it!
Why am I still thinking of you? Why don't you leave me alone? Why can't I just fucking forget?
"Don't think too hard. You look like you might pass out from the stress."
The voice is undoubtedly male, rough like it was during childhood, but there was an authoritative quality to it now, a deep and quiet voice forever painted with amusement.
Naruto, Sasuke recognized with something akin to relief.
He was met with the sight of golden hair, a beacon in the secluded wing of the hospital of Konoha gone vintage with age. Naruto grinned at him, because he knew that Sasuke thought he forgot about him—and he relaxes unconciously, because no matter what Naruto will alwaysalwaysalways be his best friend—and Sasuke noticed that the marks on his cheekbones had faded to the point where only four were visible, two on either side, angled perfectly on his grown face.
Behind him, he saw Sakura move with a confident gait, and her head held high with the coat of a medic-nin concealing how she'd grown into her womanly curves—so different from the timid and afraid little girl he used to know. Sakura looked at him expectantly, giving him her undivided attention.
Her hair is long again, he observed and he wondered at her new hairstyle, two locks of hair bound and trailing to the small of her back. But the longing in her eyes still looked familiar, echoed the past—and with sudden clarity, he felt distinctly uncomfortable with her devotion.
Part of him felt pity that she couldn't move on and part frustration because even after all these years, she still couldn't see what was right in front of her fucking eyes because he saw the way Naruto tenderly guides her through the open door, never mind the fact that she could pulverize the whole door in her way with a single squeeze.
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The three former teammates settled in hesitantly, easing into comfort cautiously like one does to avoid stepping on cracks in the road.
Sakura's hands were enveloped with the glow of her eyes as she checked him over and he ignored the way her fingers trembled, almost like she wanted to touch him and how her hand accidentally brushed against his wrist in her examination followed by a swift and slight pinch.
But he gave her one glance and she noticed how his eyes had lightened from onyx now to a deep, slate grey instead.
"How are you feeling, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. He couldn't help but notice how her voice was light, almost a soprano with a lilt to it as it echoed in his head. It sounded delicate, so utterly girlish, fitting of her name. And then he compared it to the voice he could hear in his head, which was low and sultry, a womanly tenor.
He remembered one night when her head of dark hair lay next to his own and how she'd sprawled over him and asked, perhaps a bit snide and mocking, "why didn't you tell her you loved her back all those years ago...?"
And after weeks of having the time to ponder on past issues, Sasuke now knew the reason even if Sakura herself hadn't realized it yet...
"Oi, you listening?" Naruto waved a hand in his face and Sasuke watched as Sakura scolded their blonde teammate. Her expression would be motherly almost, if it weren't for the gentle touch of her staying hand against Naruto's.
She might've wanted to be with him, but she would always belong with Naruto.
"What do you want, Naruto?"
"What do you think?" Naruto raised a brow, "We came to visit you. We've heard from the other medic-nin that you haven't exactly been...all there. What's this I'm hearing about you mumbling in your sleep?"
But Sasuke's expression suddenly closed. "Why should I tell you?"
Naruto scowled, but Sakura spoke first. "We're just trying to help, Sasuke-kun."
"Tsunade sent you." His voice was sharp with accusation. "First she wouldn't let you come and now she's decided to use you to get information out of me. Otogakure's fucking decimated, and Orochimaru's rotting in hell as we speak, what the hell more do you want?"
"For fuck's sake, what's up your ass? Aren't you a little too weak to be prissy?" Naruto quipped, moving to sit before the Uchiha. The bed shifted under the added weight. It was a little disconcerting seeing Naruto up close and at his level instead of standing. He no longer wore vibrant colours. In fact, now that he thought about it, Sasuke wasn't sure he could remember Naruto wearing orange after he turned seventeen.
Naruto crossed his arms, clad in a black sweater with black armguards over them, his feet sporting closed lightweight boots and a jounin vest as his new ensemble. "What are you thinking about right now?"
"No one."
It remained unsaid that they asked a different question, but his answer's meaning is all too clear. Had he met someone while he was away? Had he forgotten them and treasured her in their place...?
Sakura raised a brow and marveled at the scar over his left collar bone. "What happened to you? Why did you leave? Why did you stay?"
Sasuke shrugged and avoided the question. There were too many ways to answer, and none of them would satisfy her. "Why do you think I stayed?"
"..."
She felt her heart sink when he looked away, a preoccupied sheen to his eyes. There had been someone else.
"I don't know." she finally whispered, before turning with a quick goodbye, her hair fluttering after her in a frenzy. "I promised Tsunade-shishou I would help her with something at the hospital...I'll...talk to you guys later."
"Once again," Naruto scowled, but the longing was written all over his face, "way to go, asshole."
"you know," she snorted, "every time you just revert to dipshit mode...i forget why i even tolerate you."
Sasuke squashed the thought from his mind.
"So, how've you been? For fuck's sake, you look like you haven't been sleeping. And what the hell are they feeding you? You look like a stick. Do you want me to bring you some ramen—"
Somehow, watching Naruto ramble made him relax. And Sasuke couldn't help but feel amused.
"Naruto."
"Because Ayame-nee and the old man have come up with some new—"
"Naruto."
"—recipes, they even have onigiri. You know, that stuff you like so much?"
"here, catch." she tossed him something and he was surprised to find food in his hand. "well? it's your favourite, isn't it?"
"Naruto."
Naruto closed his mouth with a sheepish grin. "Right, sorry. But seriously, everything alright?"
He stared at Naruto blankly. "I'm in a fucking hospital with fucked up lungs, surrounded by ANBU and women who gossip about how I murdered someone to get here. I'm pale. I'm tired. I'm hungry and I want to fucking get out of here."
Naruto smirked amiably. "You're always pale."
"Dobe,"Sasuke glared. "Don't test me."
"Please. What's the worst you could do? Chidori my ass? You're in no condition to even stand up and you think you can hurt me?" Besides, we both know you've already done that.
Sasuke watched as Naruto unconciously rubbed his side and cringed in reminiscence.
"...how's Sakura been?"
Naruto's easy expression softened and quieted. "She's..."
Still in love with you. "She's fine."
"Naruto," Sasuke bit his lip—shit, I'm not good at this—"I don't...well, you know."
He watched his friend sigh wearily. "Doesn't matter if you don't. She does."
Sasuke had never been good with words. Words had always been Naruto's thing. But if he was, he wished he could've found the right words to say in this situation. But all he could think was, you deserve her, but even that wouldn't be enough and in the end that's what mattered. So he said nothing at all.
Instead, the two spent the next few hours catching up on what happened while he was gone.
The Rookie 9 that he had been a part of had all grown in age and power and bonds that Sasuke knew that it would sometiems hurt to see them known as the Konoha 11. The great 11 that helped prevent another shinobi war and moved onto ANBU sections and village specialists. Knowing he could've been a part of that stung more than he would admit.
It was also interesting to find that Kakashi had had a couple of flings while he was gone, his most known one being a brief burst of passion shared with Anko, the former chuunin proctor—it had been enough to keep the rumour mill in Konoha satisfied for the record of a whole month.
Ino had moved on with Shikamaru, and many of the other rookies had also paired off. A new Hokage had also come into power, the blonde woman that he had sometimes seen fighting with Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
All in all, Konoha had changed.
Without him.
"And that's basically it." Naruto grinned slightly before his expression tapered off into solemnity.
"Look Sasuke, there's something I need to tell you." Naruto was always serious when he used his first name.
He narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"
"I know you're suspicious and I'm sorry I haven't visited you for the last two weeks but I've been busy with trying to keep the council from all out murdering you.
"You did some pretty bad shit while you were gone and the old hag Koharu and dipshit Himura want to make sure you're going to stay loyal. The only way they can see that happening is putting you on probation and under constant interrogation."
"..." Sasuke processed the information slowly. "You want me to tell you about Otogakure."
Naruto caught his eye. "Actually, they want to know more than that. They're asking about your mangekyou, Sasuke. They know you didn't get it from killing Itachi, Jiraiya's spy network knows that much at least."
And most of all, they're questioning if you have any relationship with a current Oto-nin we have in custody. But Naruto kept that bit of information to himself.
"So when am I supposed to meet with Ibiki?" he asked.
"Actually," Naruto grimaced, "you're going to be talking to me every day."
Sasuke's eyes widened. "What?"
"Tsunade doesn't trust the elders not to get involved, so she's having me deal with you personally."
Sasuke raised a brow. "Wouldn't you be considered biased?"
"Doesn't matter." Naruto shrugged, "They know you won't talk to anyone not Team 7 anyway."
"...So, how is this supposed to work?"
"Look, we'll start small alright? You don't even have to tell me anything personal, you can keep it purely factual if you want. I won't even push you for answers. Besides, wouldn't you rather talk to your best friend over a fucker that doesn't give a shit about what happens to you?"
Sasuke glared, but couldn't help but give pause at the best friend claim.
"...C'mon, don't look at me like that." Naruto begged, "I tried, okay! But your suddenly coming back is just too suspicious to ignore. They think you have motives, and it's not unreasonable that they do."
"..."
Naruto threw his hands up in agitation. "Fine. Be a bitch about it. Just think about it alright? You have two days before they send Ibiki and Anko."
"why'd you leave them behind?"
Sasuke watched as Naruto slowly got up and made his way to the door. Maybe it was desperation, or it might've been something else. All Sasuke knew was that he didn't think he could handle being in the dark. He was already too familiar with it to be healthy.
"When are you coming tomorrow?"
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Tsunade steeped her fingertips beneath her chin expectantly.
"Anything?"
"I don't know what's wrong with him, Tsunade." Naruto shook his head seriously. "Something's different about him. I think there was something or someone he left behind when we brought him back with us. He came willingly, but looked back too much for it to be normal. He was heavily injured...and he possesses the mangekyou sharingan."
The Hokage sighed. "Yes, I remember. We took him for extensive care to treat chakra exhaustion and found the cursed seal to be dormant, if it even is dormant. But there is no presence of any tainted chakra. There was also complications with his lungs. Still though, the council decided he is still too much of a wild card to be left free." She pinched her nose in annoyance, "I personally agree with them for once."
"How's Sakura handling this?" Tsunade watched with a certain degree of sadness as Naruto's features hardened into a blank visage.
"As well as can be said, considering the history." He murmured. "Sasuke has agreed to speaking daily though."
Apparently, despite her instincts, Naruto was not in the mood to go into details over his love life. She would have to play the role of an authority figure for now.
"Good, I want as much information as possible." Tsunade explained. "It will help us decide his progress and possible reinstatement, and if we're lucky, it'll clear up some missing details on the other injured shinobi we currently have with us."
Naruto bowed briefly, formality taking over in lieu of his solemnity as was habit. "Of course."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair in weariness. Her sake stash was officially emptied. She would have to restock on that, she reminded herself. One glance to the corner of her desk lead her to believe that she was indeed making the right decision by going to check on her apprentice and some other patients at the hospital.
It was unacceptable, the way Sakura was still stuck and indecisive between her two teammates even after all this time. Tsunade nodded firmly to herself, before setting off at a furtive pace, lest Shizune catch her skipping out once more.
When she arrived, the hospital was going through a slow day. Many nurses and doctors simply fluttered about checking in on some of the less critical patients and keeping them company. Sakura herself was currently tending to a little boy with scraped knees. The sight made the Hokage smile fondly as she walked down the hall. She paused in her stride to stand by her apprentice's side as she finished with her patient.
"I'll need you to be more careful next time, okay Koji?" Sakura gave a small smile at the exuberant reply she received. She waved goodbye to the young civilian before she turned to Tsunade.
"Hai, shishou? So what's this new assignment you have for me?"
Tsunade gave a slight nod to Sakura, indicating for her to follow. As the two women walked down they passed by the even white doors on either side of the hall that were evenly spaced and marked the walls with an almost domino-like effect. Tsunade turned right and climbed a few stairs before finding herself on the third floor. Sakura followed closely, curious as her sensei opened a door to a secluded room.
Tsunade slid the door open, stepping into a fairly empty room. Sakura looked around her, observing the tables empty of any condolence gifts before seeing the room belonged to a young teenaged woman her age, appearing to be almost eighteen or nineteen. She was a beautiful girl, Sakura thought as Tsunade read over her charts at the foot of her bed. The patient had distinct features, and Sakura felt almost as though she'd seen her but couldn't be sure with her loose locks spread out around her face. Everything about her screamed femininity. Her sharp green eyes followed the tubes attached to her narrow wrists that gave way to tapered fingers.
When Sakura glanced at her face she wondered what the four diamond marking on her forehead meant. They were shaped, stranglely enough, to form a delicate four pointed star. She reached a slender hand to trace the markings and marveled at the girl's undisturbed expression.
Tsunade sighed, smoothing wayward bangs from the girl's brow. She turned, passing a thin folder to Sakura.
"What's this, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked, as she leafed through the sparse files.
"She will be your new patient. She was found on the outskirts of Fire Country by Naruto sometime after Sasuke came back. I sent him and Neji to do some information gathering in order to see if Oto was really gone like the Uchiha claimed."
"I see. Do you know what's wrong with her?"
Tsunade came over to Sakura, shifting through the papers before giving Sakura the one she was looking for. "There isn't much we know about her. Naruto said she'd been on the verge of pneumonia. Luckily, he and Neji got her to Konoha on time but they weren't quick enough to avoid the effects of blood loss. She's been in a coma for the last three weeks and hasn't shown any signs of recovering quickly. Whatever happened to her was bad."
Name: Unknown.
Date of Birth: Unknown.
Village: Otogakure. [Unconfirmed.]
Sex: Female.
Hair colour: Black.
Eye colour: Blue.
Occupation: Shinobi. [Was found with twin blades, kunai, shuriken on her person.]
Reason of Admittance: Bleeding profusely from left lung, suffering serious fractures from right hand up. Possesses scars received possibly from Raiton jutsu. In coma, thus far.
Sakura pursed her lips, "Why do you want me to watch over her? Was it really such a good idea to bring her here without any idea of who she is? This report says she's most likely from Otogakure. How do we know she's not a threat?"
Tsunade crossed her arms. "Those are all very valid points. Unfortunately, you know how Naruto gets when he's made up his mind. He doesn't believe she'll hurt Konoha's interest."
"That's just like Naruto." Sakura muttered, as she examined her patient's bandages and did a quick diagnostic jutsu. "He didn't even catch her name and he saved her anyway. He didn't even have a reason did he?"
Tsunade remained silent, clearly unwilling to elaborate on that particular subject. "I just want you to notify me when she wakes. Until she does, watch her progress. I might even make you help her through therapy since I'm sure her left side and hand will be doing a lot of protesting when she wants to be on the move again."
Sakura sighed. "Alright then. I'll check on her at least once or twice a day then."
Tsunade smiled. "Thank you, Sakura. But for now go home, take a day off tomorrow. You're tired and if you don't want to rest then spend some time with Naruto. He has a lot on his mind that I'm sure you could distract him from."
"Sure, thank you shishou."
With that, Sakura turned and quietly made her way out of the hospital.
You are a mystery, young one. Tsunade pursed her lips thoughtfully. She glanced back at the young woman, so fragile and serene in the lone hospital room.
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