Here is my first story! Please enjoy reading and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters.
xoxox
Cold.
Obsidian orbs hid beneath a dirtied bandage, a brutal pulsation wracking his brain and the back of his eyes. He wanted to yell. He wanted to scream and cry. He opened his mouth and a puff of air followed. He attempted to swallow, and only now realized how dehydrated he was.
He needed to get up. Fight the pain that screamed at him to rest. It took all his strength to sit up, only to be forced down in the middle of his escapade. He shifted his wrists and heard the booming sounds of chains being dragged across a stone floor. His body was going numb as his heart quickened, a panic growing in his stomach like nothing he had ever felt before.
He was vulnerable.
His eyes darted back and forth underneath his eyelids. He was fully aware now, even in this weakened state. He needed to get out. His heart pounded against his ribcage, a sudden heaviness in the air and on his chest made it impossible to breathe.
Sasuke searched his brain, hoping for some sort of recollection to occur. He couldn't remember how he got here or anything suspicious that could have led to this predicament. What had he been doing? How long has he been gone for? He knew he wasn't exactly missed and that no one would be looking for him. The thought made him cringe as his chances of escaping now diminished exponentially.
He had to run. To leave this unknown place as soon as possible. He lifted his arm with the little strength he managed to muster. The chain rattled, but in the end, his arm was back by his side, accompanied by his labored breaths. This couldn't be the end. This is too sad, too anticlimactic. This is the way the infamous Uchiha Sasuke leaves the world? How pitiful.
"What are you doing?!"
Thoughts started to gush and flood his conscious. This can't be happening, not in this place. He was to die alone and disturbed. Maybe if he thought hard enough, his heart and mind would give out in one false swoop. The final end, to go with minimal pain. But of course, this Uchiha just wasn't that lucky.
"You're destroying your home!
"I have no home. This place is the cause of all my pain, all my suffering. How could a place like this be a home to me?!"
"People love you. We've been fighting for you! Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, I…—Do we mean nothing to you?!"
"I told you; I broke those bonds long ago. You are nothing. You mean nothing!"
White, white, white. Pain in his side, in his chest, arms and legs. Green?
Darkness.
Sasuke groaned as bright lights penetrated his eyelids, awaking him from his slumber. He was groggy and sore, as though he hasn't slept in years. His right arm was burning. Maybe he was burning alive in a fire somewhere. He'll be nothing but ash soon, so he just let the burning continue. It would be over soon anyway.
"Sir?"
Was the flame speaking to him? How did the fire talk and lick his skin all at once?
"Boy, wake up."
Sasuke's face scrunched. What's with the informalities? Slightly interested, he shook his head and struggled to open his crusted eyes. When they opened, he quickly shut them once more, the light too much for his resting hues. Trying again, he managed to keep them open, the world around him blurry and unclear. When his sight suddenly focused on a cabinet and sink with medical supplies, realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
He wasn't dead.
How could this be? He clearly remembered being in a cold damp cell of some sorts, chained to the wall like a wild animal. There is no way he got away on his own. Touching his face, he felt his sweaty and clammy skin against his fingertips. Pinching his cheeks, he was sure he was alive when he felt the pain of a pinch against his face. He looked to his arms only to see them bandaged neatly by his side. It was only then that he remembered the voice. Turning his head, he came upon a middle aged woman looking at him worriedly.
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He could remember, vaguely, the last time he had a conversation. It was when—how long has it been? The fight, the village, and the war?
"You're In Konoha hospital young man. Some ANBU found you by the gate. You were practically dead."
She spoke as though it were a casual thing to talk about, like they were in a café drinking tea and sharing stories of past loves—Konoha? She said Konoha.
"Konoha. The village, leaves?"
Sasuke wanted to slap himself. He sounded illiterate and foreign to his own ears. The woman's lips formed a gentle smile as she pulled the covers to his chest, forcing him to lay back against the pillows she had apparently fluffed.
"Yes. Konoha, the village of Hidden Leaves," she paused, her finger lingering on the blanket. "Do you remember where you're from, boy? Or rather, perhaps I should ask you your name first."
Sasuke was confused. Did she seriously not recognize him? He glared at the woman for being so naïve. He has met some moronic people but after all he has done she had the nerve to say she had no idea who he was. He opened his mouth to criticize her until she turned back around with a tray. He noticed a cup with two capsules of some unknown medication. A thought struck him and he shut his mouth.
Of course she knows him and is playing dumb so she can poison him. He should have known better. Whoever put this old woman in charge sure was a masochist, getting an innocent woman to play murderer. Then again, nothing is as it seems anymore.
"Here take this. It will help with the pain," she stated, placing the tray on the table beside his bed. Grabbing the cup and the pills, she held them out to him, the same smile on her face.
Sasuke wanted to punch her.
Instead he simply turned his head and shut his eyes. He could hear birds chirping outside the wide window. What season was it? Probably spring.
Ah, Spring.
The smell of antiseptic mixed with a cool breeze from the open window to his far left, burning his nostrils and easing his mind. Spring was a time of warmth and beauty, and yet all he felt was cold. Sasuke wouldn't know warmth if it smacked him in the face. His eyes slowly opened at the thought of blooming flowers and trees, things he hasn't appreciated or seen in a long time. Instead, he was staring into the eyes of an unknown man. His eyes widened with more shock and confusion that he has ever expressed in his life.
Because he was staring at a reflection.
With cherry blossoms flying carelessly in the background of the hospital window, he saw a reflection of a man he did not know; a face and a body he did not recognize. Touching his cheek and pulling his hair, he realized he was not Sasuke Uchiha anymore. This was not his dark brown hair clinging to an unknown face and these were not his dark ruby-colored eyes that shared the same shock and horror that he felt. No, because he did not know this body at all. Pulling the white covers off of himself, his eyes searched frantically on tanned legs for the scars from his countless bloody battles. He was never this shade of skin and his legs were somewhat frail, not the typically toned ones constructed by shinobi of his stature and lifestyle. Turning his head towards the woman who had stepped back, she looked at him as though he were crazy.
"What did you do to me?!" He yelled, his voice cracking from lack of use. It was only now that he noticed the foreign sound that is his voice. She shook but held her ground. Sasuke swung his legs from the bed, a loud creaking following his actions. Managing to stand on two unfamiliar feet, he wobbled, weakened and injured. Pulling up his sleeves, his muscles were defined but not what they used to be.
His strength and physique were gone, he is taller and tanned, like a farm boy or wanderer. Ruffling his greasy hair, it was slightly longer without the familiar spikes in the back that he was born with. He didn't understand…
His eyes grew menacing as a sickening grin grew on his face. Slowly lifting his head towards the woman, he saw her gasp as she dropped the glass and pills on the floor, a vulgar shatter following thereafter.
"This must be some kind of genjutsu," Sasuke scoffed as he took a step forward. "How could I have been fooled so easily?"
The woman shook her head, her uneasiness becoming more apparent as she took a step away from the man and towards the door.
"Boy, y-you're in Konoha Hospital. Genjutsu? It's impossible in here…" her voice trailed off as Sasuke took another step toward her, causing her to take another step in the opposite direction.
"Do I look like an idiot to you? Do you not know who I am?" He felt arrogant, but couldn't keep the smirk from forming on his face as he watched the woman cower in fear.
He felt powerful, he felt exhilarated. The power to make people fear him by a look or a few words sent chills down his spine. No one gets anywhere with kindness, he knows that all too well. His brother was a perfect example, his death proving that notion. People don't listen to the words of kind people, they listen to those they fear. People are as raw and weak as they will ever be when they are stripped of their power, of their identity.
Sasuke took another step towards the woman and she let out a scream as her back hit the wall. Sasuke threw his body towards her, ready to kill this imaginary person before him. However, he failed to notice the opening of the sliding door, and was too late to react to the flying fist towards his gut.
Groaning and lowering his body to the floor, he heard frantic footsteps as the woman he was just with managed to flee from the room. His blurred vision remained on the two black high heeled sandals that were in front of him.
"You're really pissing me off, kid."
Black.
Tsunade was not pleased. Not only was she a woman of little patience, but she was also an ill-mannered and short tempered person. She knows this very well and in most cases, uses it to get what she wants when she wants it.
Staring at the unconscious man chained to a hospital bed, she felt the familiar rush of anger course through her. A headache was forming, from stress and sake, a real "mood-killer" as some people say. It's a vicious cycle, really. When she gets stressed she drinks, only to wake up the next day hung over and in a bad mood, causing her to drink more. It's incredibly annoying.
The man before her groaned in pain as he tried to move his body into a comfortable position. Of course, he wasn't able to, resulting in a frustrated growl. He opened his eyes and noticed the constraints on his body and Tsunade watched as panic spread across his face.
"You tried to attack one of my nurses. That's why you're bound," she spoke. The man looked at her with anger and confusion.
"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted at her, his spit barely missing her leg that was resting on a table.
"I'm trying to find out what's wrong with you," she stated with a stern face. "Like I said, you attacked a nurse that was attempting to give you pain medication. I want to know why."
The man didn't say anything. His body relaxed minutely and his head gently hit the back of the gurney he was on. Tsunade took her legs off the long table and approached him, hovering over him with a look of apprehension etched on her features. The man looked at her tiredly but she could still see the fight in his eyes and tense facial muscles.
He was young, around twenty, she figured. His hair was dirty and matted, his face and body caked with dirt that would only come off if scrubbed. He looked tired and defeated with bags under his red eyes, an oddly beautiful shade, she thought. Everything about him looked weak and harmless, but Tsunade was wiser than that. The most unlikely people can be dangerous.
"After the war, the five shinobi nations decided to stay banded together as one united shinobi alliance," Tsunade began, crossing her arms over her large chest while looking down at the man. "Because of this, medical facilities no longer have the right to deny treatment to foreign villagers. However, if the patient is treated in this village, they give up their rights to medical confidentiality. Now, after looking through missing persons and through medical files, your face still hasn't shown up."
Tsunade sent him a harsh look, "and I'm here to find out why."
Sasuke looked at the woman with slight interest. He knew this woman and her expertise. Being the Hokage of Leaf made her more than qualified to decipher a transformation jutsu or a genjutsu. Not only that, but he is too tired and low on chakra to even produce such results. Therefore, not only was he confused, he was also intrigued.
"Tch. I couldn't tell you."
He could feel the death stare from the woman above him as she grabbed his hospital gown. Bearing her teeth, she was seething with anger.
"Pardon? I missed what you said. What do you mean by that, huh?"
Sasuke looked her in the eyes and spoke, "I don't know who I am."
Her grip relaxed as anger turned to confusion and aggravation.
"Amnesia?" She asked more to herself then the man.
"I know who I am. But my body is not my own. I don't know who this person is…" His voice trailed off. The woman was perplexed and she let go of him, his body falling back onto the bed where he groaned in pain from the forceful contact.
"I'm not following." Sasuke frowned and shifted into a more comfortable position. A headache was starting to form and he was starting to feel a gnawing hunger in his abdomen.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. But this is not my body."
There was a long pause before Tsunade began to erupt into laughter. Sasuke shot her a glare as she continued to laugh. She held her stomach as the obnoxious noise rang throughout the empty room.
"Yeah right, kid! Try again. That was the funniest thing I've heard all day!" She was still hollering with laughter, causing Sasuke's frown to deepen and anger to set into his stomach, replacing the hunger he was feeling.
"This isn't a laughing matter. Act more professional. You're worse than Naruto."
Tsunade stopped laughing and her smile was replaced with a thin line. At the mention of the boy's name, the Hokage narrowed her eyes.
"You're right. In fact, you gave me an idea."
The woman left the small, dank room the two were in, slamming the door behind her. He could hear her muffled yelling from his spot on the uncomfortable bed.
He was just so tired, so worn from facing obstacle after obstacle. Sasuke is stubborn but even he had a limit. Although he would never say it out loud, he was nearing his end. His muscles, his bones, his organs, his pride; everything was hurting.
The blonde woman returned a minute later, her face stoic, much like his own. She approached his bed and unclasped the restraints on his ankles and wrists. He looked at her cautiously as he slowly sat in an upright position, rubbing his sore wrists.
"Come on. We're going to my office."
She began to walk away, but Sasuke remained in his seat, eyeing her back.
"What for?"
She turned and smirked, "Because we are going to get the only person that knows Uchiha Sasuke inside and out." Sasuke hesitated and Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto!"
