Chapter Three
Sasuke struggles violently in the hold of my jutsu, trying to escape its tight grip. I don't show it, but I am surprised, I've only used this jutsu properly once before! I have to finish this now. Walking over to where I dropped it, I grab my cloak off of the ground and quickly retrieve two of my scrolls out of its deep pockets.
I drop the cloak back where it was, then looking at the sides, I make sure that they are the correct ones. The first one is wrapped with a pink ribbon and the marking says 'saishuu', the other is wrapped with a green ribbon reading, 'kantetsu'- these are the correct scrolls. I keep my distance from where I Sasuke.
Desperation shows in nothing but his eyes- the desperation to live that every living being has. I feel a pang of sympathy go through my heart, and I try to ignore it. Quickly, I look away from him and back at what I'm doing- I can't have him distract me! Slowly, I slide open the saishuu scroll and finish the kanji for my jutsu.
I listen as rain slowly begins to fall near by. I have to do this now- or I'll run out of time! Biting my thumb, I spread my blood down the length of the scroll, quickly. Not sparing a moment, I do the same to the kantetsu scroll- I have no time to be leisurely!
I stand with the scrolls in hand- "kusabana toge no jutsu!" I cry out, forming the correct hand signs quickly. For moments, nothing occurs at all and I worry that I performed it incorrectly. Rain falls down upon me and Sasuke, so cold. I try to read the scroll over, but it was hard to see and was now beginning to smudge.
I panic for a moment, then finally, the earth beneath me begins to move, and shards of stone begin to raise into the air, like little daggers, all aimed for where Sasuke is being held. He looks around at them, his eyes widening, but his voice still silent- not a word leaves his mouth.
I smile, its working! As soon as I was relived by this thought- the heavens let loose. Torrents of rain poured down, the clouds above blocking out the nearly set moon. Any light that the rising sun might have provided is not visible- it's almost completely pitch black. And as the rain continues to fall, the ground beneath me becomes loose- I have to do it now!
The rain raises dust from the ground, and I loose sight of Sasuke and the jutsu holding him- how can I aim at something I can no longer see?! I fear that the rain has washed away the earth that was holding Sasuke, but I trust my judgment of direction and shout- "Hit it!" I hear the shards of stone as they whistle through the rain and wind. Please hit the target!
I listen, silently as I hear the shards all hit something at the same time. Shockwaves occur and I feel the ground ripple under my soaked feet. I'd like to believe it hit him- but a feeling in my gut tells me otherwise. Quickly I slip on my cloak to shield me from the rain. Looking up, I watch as something moves quickly through the rain ahead of me- is it Sasuke? Quickly I grab kunai and aim where the motion was heading- I can't let him get away!
"Nice trick- but you missed me," I spin around- it's Sasuke! How did he get there- he wasn't moving fast enough to be there this quickly! Sasuke pulls out a kunai knife and holds me by my throat, holding the kunai right next to it.
"I wasn't wanting to do this Sakura- but you've become too much of an annoyance," he says quietly in my ear, lifting the kunai up to bring it down on my neck. It can't end here!
So many things I haven't done! My mind, as if it were on a reel, plays through my life. What happened to the innocence I used to have? Picking flowers and daydreaming all day. But, I was still awful to some people who changed my life. After all, in a completely strange way, if it wasn't for Naruto, I'd have never met Itachi and I'd still be…
This boy who holds me- I used to love him. No- I was obsessed! I cared so much about his opinion, his every thought. It mattered to me, only because it mattered to him. No matter what it was. And now, how it's ended up between us. I hate him for just being alive! I tell myself that I want to kill him, but somehow, even after what he's done, I still can't make myself fully believe it.
If someone had said two years from now we'd be like this- I'd knock them out- saying that there was no way it could ever be true. I was so easily bent by his thoughts, I mean I used to hate the name Itachi, just because Sasuke did- what type of living is that? And now he's gone, and I'm going to die by the same hand he did. But- but at least I'll be able to be with my Itachi again. I slide my eyes closed- ready for the pain.
"Yusouki uso no jutsu!" my ears ring with a voice that came from the rain ahead of me. A pair of hands grab me and in a flash of light, the rain has stopped, and Sasuke is no longer gripping onto my neck. What just happened?! Opening my eyes slowly, I realize I am sitting down, and look at the chair beneath me- how did I get here? I look ahead of me to the only other visible person in the room. My eyes searching his ringed ones for an answer.
"Haruno, Sakura; your trial begins now," the man says, returning the look I was giving him. Trial?! What trial?!