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Blatantly Chained

Part I

Chapter III:

The Irreversible

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For the next month I visit Sakura everyday and every night. I strive to contact her as she sleeps, placing the back of my hand on her warm cheek and saying the same words, "Don't let me die," over and over until I'm sure at least one gets through. Though, none do. I can tell they don't, because in the morning when she wakes up, she pulls away her curtains, inhales deeply at the light of dawn, and puts this silly grin on her face. And so, every morning I scowl at her blurry grey shape, because it's quite irritating. I am trying so hard to communicate with her, yet she ignores me. Probably being distracted by thoughts of that damned dog lover.

On this particular morning, after her usually smiling routine, she has decided to take the day off from the hospital and stroll around the village with Kiba. (It bothers me how she works at the medical center, yet neglects to even look in the direction of my room.)

I boot the pavement of the main street as I pace behind them, hands dug in pockets. The late September air is beginning to chill, though the sun provides enough heat for the weather to leave me unaffected— considering my lack of appropriate clothing. When I gaze up from the ground Sakura is sticking to Kiba's arm like glue, giggling annoyingly at something he says. I scoff inwardly. Her behavior is ridiculous.

"Aren't they cute?" The voice mocks.

"No."

"Jealousy isn't a good thing, Sasuke," He laughs, "Though; it can sometimes lead people in the right direction…"

"I'm not jealous," I grumble.

"Like I said, jealousy can lead people in the right direction. Perhaps you should follow it…"

"Che. And like I said, I'm not jealous."

Sakura and Kiba stop at an ice cream stand— I can tell because of the scent—, allowing me to drag my heavy body up to meet them. I don't remember being able to smell ice cream— though this is not surprising as of late— but, but despite my hunger, the sweet smell of sugar and chocolate isn't all that inviting. (Sweets were never really my thing.)

"Sakura," I exhale, moving my fingers to graze her arm. I wait for a response, though I get the usual silence. Every time I am with Sakura, I attempt at establishing a connection with her. And I am referring to nearly every second of the day. More often than not, Kiba is with her, so the feat is seems to be a whole lot more difficult.

"Sakura," I repeat, saying it about five more times while she picks out her ice cream.

"It's been a month, and you have been trying the same thing with no results." I hear.

"So?"

The ebullient salesman hands Sakura an ice cream cone over the counter and she immediately lifts it up to Kiba's face. He flashes a crooked grin before licking it, causing Sakura's grey eyes to ignite with joy. I'm guessing the frozen sweet is strawberry flavored, since it is her favorite. After being around Sakura for so long, it's one of the many things I've learn about her. I also learned that it is tradition for her and Kiba to stop by this exact shop about once or twice a week.

"So, I'm saying you don't have much time left," The voice grumbles.

"Three months," I state, "Is probably more than enough to get some kind of reaction."

The couple continues walking, Sakura linking arms with Kiba, and me at her other flank with my fingers still brushing her arm. I close my eyes and focus my thoughts on Sakura.

The voice sighs.

"You always take things for granted."

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Naruto was never one I trusted my life with. Well, perhaps, at times I did, though if it were in a box and I had to leave that box behind in someone's hands, that someone wouldn't be Naruto. For this reason, I don't attempt speaking to Naruto. Plus, he isn't the one with a shackle stuck on his wrist.

I let my head fall back on the stony back of the couch, wishing for it to be as soft as it is to people in the real world, and stare at the dark ceiling. The lights are off in Sakura's apartment, curtaining my sight with an endless shade of black, and occasionally a sliver of grey light that comes from her living room windows. I've been waiting for her since twilight, and it is practically midnight. Sakura had gone off somewhere with Kiba. And having enough of their sappiness, I opted to stay.

"Where the hell is that girl?" I groan. The quicker she gets her, the more time I have to speak to her. To tell her that I have three months to live. Hopefully I'll wake up before that… Though I would need Sakura to do that.

Half of me expects the voice to respond in some witty way, or make some conversation, but he doesn't. I am left in silence, blinking through the darkness. With my left hand I finger the hard, freezing, links of the chain and let my mind wander. Perhaps if I tried hard enough, I could snap the fetter. What if that is the key to my release? What if I need Sakura to break the chain? I run over all of these possibilities in my brain, though I am drawn out of my trance when I hear the apartment door open.

Finally.

I stand and begin walking over to Sakura's room— because every night she goes straight there— when abruptly my ears pop, ringing for several minutes before the sound dims. The echo of kisses and rough breathing— that I couldn't hear before— bombards my ears, causing me to peer over at the apartment door. My poor eyesight mysteriously fades, giving me a clear image of two mingling figures. I restrain a gag.

As Sakura and Kiba grope at each other, I make way to leave the area through the painted living room wall. Only, instead of going through, my face smacks against the wood. I recoil back, shocked.

"What the hell? Why can't I go?" I call out, looking up towards the ceiling.

The only sound is of Sakura and Kiba exchanging saliva— stridently— and pulling themselves to her bedroom.

When they make it to their destination and shut the door, the noises only get louder. My hands shoot up to cup my ears, although it is in vain. It feels as though the sounds pass right through my palms. My stomach drops when there is a violent jerk of the chain, pulling me facedown into the cold wooden floor. The next thing I know is that I am being swiftly dragged somewhere.

A few seconds later, I halt. A soft moan escapes Sakura's lips— Sakura's? Well, it's too feminine to be Kiba's—, and I lift my head up I see a large bed towering over. So I've ended up in Sakura's room. Perfect. I press my palms against the wooden floor panels, but a force presses down on my back, washing all efforts to get up away and knocking the breath right out of me. I try once more to get up, grunting at the weight, but fail again. Sakura mumbles something, but all I can focus on is the God awful, retch-inducing, brain-stabbing, noises they are making. All sounds coming from them hit my ears as if I am standing next to a large, ringing bell, the moans and kisses echoing infinitely through every nerve in my brain until at last they gather into a headache— one so painful it makes me cringe.

"Oh, Kiba," Sakura moans, and a black thing flies in the air. It lands next to me. A shirt. I grit my teeth, spotting one more thing soar instantly through the air— another shirt. The headache becomes brutally worse at the realization of what these two things mean.

"Hey!" I roar, "Voice! Do something! I can't move!"

Sakura's voice is getting louder… It is beginning to twinge my ears.

My lips turn down, and I simultaneously recognize the irony scent of blood, probably from the warm liquid I feel dripping from my nose, forming a tiny puddle against my cheek. I squeeze my eyelids together tightly. I don't understand… why this is happening. The answers are never clear to me, no matter how hard I contemplate the right and wrong ways to solve this dilemma. It seems yet again something unspeakably puzzling is happening, and the voice won't lend some advice.

"Don't ask me for advice. Ask them." the voice spits, at last.

"As if they could help," I groan. Blood fills my ears, overflowing the one face-up and causing it to drip to my mouth.

"Quickly."

As much as I had liked to stay calm, that one word sends me into a whirlpool of panic. Whatever blood that was left in my veins was now surging through me and creating an uncomfortable knot in my stomach.

"Sakura," I say, "SAKURA!"

Moans, and more damned moans. They make my intestines churn the wrong way and cause my blood to boil. Another article of clothing flies from the bed, and a sharp pang hits my brain. I hiss, struggling to move.

"Will you stop! Stop whatever the hell it is you are doing, because it obviously isn't working out in my favor!" I bellow. I can feel the heat rising to my head. Judging by the continuation of their actions, neither one hears me.

"Just freaking listen, for once! It's been a whole month! That mutt you have been clinging to is getting to your head, distracting you! What happened to comradeship?" My brain, with all that is being said, might just pop.

"Kiba, you filthy bastard! Get off of her so she can hear me! Sakura. Sakura!" I bite my lower lip in attempt to calm, "Sakura… I'm begging you to listen. If you don't… then I'll die."

I am hoping for some kind of reaction to my words. I've only begged to a few people in my lifetime, none of whom include her, so naturally these words would mean a lot. At least I think so. I frown. Perhaps… none of it has gotten through. As always. This brings out another fit of rage built up in my chest, because I am sure that this is as far as I can go in trying to woo Sakura. Though, it really isn't "wooing".

The voice is clearly playing games with me.

Just as I open my mouth to unleash my anger on this voice, someone else speaks first.

"Mm, Kiba, Kiba, Kiba," Sakura sighs, "I… love you."

Suddenly I can't hear a thing, as if I have gone deaf. The previous sounds that had fueled my headache— however, the headache was still present— did not exist anymore. A force, more powerful than the one currently parading on my spine, squishes me flatter against the ground, cracking more than twenty precious bones. With that harsh push to the floorboards, a slash erupts inside my ribcage. Déjà vu… Though I can't remember where I last felt this.

My heart feels like paper being ripped up into shreds by cold hands, or like it is being repeatedly stabbed with my own electrically charged Kusanagi. The only contrast is that the pain is much, much worse.

Beyond words.

A waterfall of blood pours from my mouth and nose, stinging my senses bitterly. I gag and cough, though while all this pain and blood-spill is occurring, the grey fetter launched in my chest is shooting out at enormous speeds, never quite seeming to end.

At last, when the chain finally comes to a dying halt, sounding a faint click, I pass out, but not before feeling the warmth of the pool of blood beneath my collapsed heap. Oddly, I feel… comfortable for once.

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"One month."

The two resounding words hit me like a kunai, setting a sinking feeling in my core— lately that's all I have been feeling. Although my body is groggy, and as heavy as a boulder, I shoot up, the first thing worth noticing being the unconventionally empty,— and extremely blurry— clean room of Sakura Haruno. My eyes dizzy and I clutch the side of my head as I rotate around to spot signs of life.

"One month?" I yell, cringing at how my own voice causes a severe pain in my ear.

"Yes. You've been asleep for two."

Bringing myself to my knees first, I stand and rub my sore back, "Asleep my ass. What I went through last night did not cause me to sleep."

"It did."

I dub today being not the day to argue with the voice.

Alas, I ignore the him and reach for my chest. Expecting to feel the chain, I astonishingly feel nothing.

When I look down I indeed see a chain— my chain. The chain. — Though what really catches my eye as being out of the norm is my hands. I bring them to my face, slowly examining them. They are nearly transparent, bearing a light grey lining and nothing else. My insides are completely emptied out and clear.

I swipe at the chain, exhaling with dropped shoulders as my hand passes through without interference.

Things couldn't possibly get weirder…

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Finding Sakura is no easy task. The chain swerves, piles up, and overlaps, and with my speed the journey is not a short one. Though, halfway through the trip, I finally stumble upon Sakura at the Hokage's office with the rest of team seven— Naruto and Kakashi. Judging by how many different sections of the chain overlap in and out of the door, I can tell she visits her master often.

I saunter straight through Tsunade's wooden door, catching her in midsentence.

"— can't stay like this forever. And at this rate, he won't survive past another three months. His condition is just making it harder on his body.

"So," She sighs, tenting her finger in front of her face, "We have made a deadline. This isn't a compromise, but we would like consent, just to make things easier on us, and to ensure a smooth completion of the task. Bare in mind, if you do not consent, it will be disregarded anyway. There is nothing we can do to otherwise guarantee a profitable outcome on both sides of this."

"We have made a deadline?" Sakura questions.

"We as in Kakashi and I."

Sakura looks over at Kakashi skeptically.

"So you want to kill him?"

Tsunade wrinkles her brow, gazing down at her paperwork behind her linked hands.

"Not kill. 'Put to sleep'." She corrects, staring at the three of them; mainly Naruto, whose head is down. He is silent.

"I consent," Sakura says quickly, causing me to raise a brow at her. Whoever they are deciding to kill, she seems fairly eager to get it done with.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade probes, "You know, I can give you some time to think over your decision, if you want."

"No," Sakura says, noticeably straightening her back and lifting her chin, "I consent."

"Okay," Tsunade murmurs, looking weakly down at her papers, "And Naruto?"

There is a prolonged silence as Naruto clenches and unclenches his fists tightly.

"Naruto? If you need time, I can give you time."

He shakes his head.

"No? You do not consent?"

"No, I don't."

"But, Naruto," Sakura butts in, grabbing his arm, "There is nothing we can do. Like Tsunade said, he'll die within the next few months. Why put him through this pain when—?"

"Sakura, you of all people should not be the one to consent," Naruto growls. He lifts his head to glower at her, "Sasuke is a strong shinobi. He would never die from something like this. At least give him the right to rejoice before you go off and kill him without his consent."

My breath catches in my throat. They were talking about me? ME?A wave of hatred flows over my head. At least Naruto isn't one to betray me, unlike the others.

But then again, he never betrays anyone.

Sakura's jaw drops, the edges of her eyes brimming with tiny tears that never quite spill over. Tsunade and Kakashi seem to be looking somewhere off in the distance with dropped faces. Though, Naruto simply walks to the exit and opens the door, pausing, "I never abandon a friend. And I never expected either one of you to either."

Giving a pointed look at Kakashi's back, he slams the door, leaving the others somewhat in a state of shock. After two minutes, Sakura lets out a shaky breath, hugging her arms low at her waist and peering down at the ground.

"Well," Tsunade exhales, "The date is set then."

Sakura and I look up at her.

"Sasuke Uchiha will die in one month. On New Year's day."

My throat closes.

"You better get a move on."

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I am beginning to get sick of this world. Everything from the trees to the people, and even to the hues, is screwed up. This voice is just set on torturing me, isn't he? Couldn't he see that I was trying to live?

I frown, touching the dust of what used to be Sakura's flower with my fingers. It puzzles me why the nurses don't just clean the mess up. Just the sight of it, a crumpling old flower, lifeless, a memento of what sliver of hope I used to have, makes a bubble of something— some feeling I don't identify with— evolve in my stomach.

I look over to the cot and spot my pale, sick, and weak body. The machine next to it indicate a heart rate so low I am practically convinced that the others are right about me— that I am going to die soon, regardless of if they take action or not.

What the hell am I supposed to do now…?

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|||\{To be continued…}/|||

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An apple for your thoughts?

A/N: I did not have fun writing that little bed scene between Sakura and Kiba, fyi. Poor Sasuke... haha. Okay, so I've been reading some other fanfics (nothing unusual), and what interested me was a regular update date that they had! So, without further or do, I will announce the regular update date for this fic.

Blatantly Chained will be updated EVERY Saturday! And if I can't, I will let you know ahead of time ^_^ This will be going on at least for the summer. (Because I have a month left until I go back to school, and I need to get to reading)

[[There will be no update for this tomorrow, I'm sorry. This was originally going to be posted tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait! Plus it leaves me more time for other writing]]

The Fame will be updated every Sunday, possibly Saturday too. (Same drill if I can't)

My Match is on Haitus.

Sunlight and Shadows is getting on the road (for once). :) Expect a new chapter soon… hopefully.

NEW STORY! I shouldn't, because I still need to update everything else, but hey, I love this new idea. Wait and see :))!

I hope everyone is having a great summer! :D

Please review!

(Sorry or errors, typos, mistakes, ect.) I hope you all enjoyed it, nonetheless!

Disclaimer: Oh please. Like I really own such a thing :P

PS: I posted a poll! Please check it out on my profile!

Oh, and constructive criticism is welcome! :D Sorry for the short chapter too