Chapter 3

Silence

...

...

Can you hear it?

...

...

No. Not any more.


At first,
there was absolute silence.
And at least, there was absolute
silence.

In between, it's a(n)
Emotional silence, that'd kill with
bare hands
Attentive silence, absorbed in the environment
Thoughtful
silence, wallowing and preparing
Embezzled silence, bored in self
indulgence
Quiet silence, uncomfortable and unwanted
Subdued silence,
waiting in the wings
Meditative silence, which can move heaven and
earth
Dogmatic silence, enough said about it
Comforting silence, no words
could describe it

In this communicative silence,
Someone,
Say
something
Or, not.

Venkata Majeti


Walking into the small village, Masao paused at the piercing bustle of the niche. Sharp clinks and clanks of hammers echoed over the shouts of villagers, muffled footsteps littering the compact hamlet; cries of children sounded below and the hum of voices dimmed and ascended together as one.

The minister walked up beside him, smiling at the life of the place.

"Is everything set?" He asked, motioning for Atsuo to join him at his side.

"Yes." They said together, smiling.

With a nod, the three men walked into the warmth of the compound, listening to the beat of its heart, and knowing inside that it would only be a matter of time before it fell silent.

This was the start.


Having escaped the chaos of the northern part of the village, Sasuke retreated east towards his own apartment. Over the course of time spent with his team, he had come to know that Sakura hated people breaking into her own home, especially Naruto.

In any case, his home was quicker to get to than Sakura's, whose estate was further south than his own. Sakura gave a small twitch as he carefully maneuvered her onto his back, allowing her arms to sling over his shoulders. Thankfully, for him, most of the villagers were at the fire site, helping to put out the flames, and so he didn't have to worry about the scrutiny of their eyes as he pulled out a key from his pocket, and proceeded into the cool room behind the front door.

Immediately, Sasuke made his way towards the guest bedroom. Opening the door with his free hand, Sasuke carefully slipped Sakura off his back and onto the soft mattress before proceeding to the kitchen, where he located a vile of alcohol along with a roll of gauze and a small towel. If Sasuke had taken Sakura up on learning how to channel chakra to heal, he wouldn't need any of these items; at least, not for something as minor as this.

With his supplies in hand, Sasuke ran a quick look over Sakura in order to identify the more serious injuries. She was bleeding from a deep cut above the knee, and a few second degree burns littered the upper parts of her arms where she had shielded herself.

His scowl deepened as he continued to stare at his teammate's unconscious body. Those stupid kids. He was angry; but more with himself than anyone else. The whole thing could have been avoided.

Letting out a heated sigh through his nose, Sasuke let the thought slip away; it wouldn't do any good now.

Taking another side-glance at Sakura, Sasuke tilted the bottle of rubbing alcohol over the rag, ignoring the sting it brought to his nose, and the sting it would surely bring her. He then gently pressed the damp cloth against the swollen wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. SaKura let out a muffled groan, but it quickly subsided as unconsciousness took over her once more.

He listened to Sakura's quiet, rhythmic breathing as he continued to apply pressure, her breathing being the only other sound breaking the silence besides his own quiet breaths.

Seeing that the blood flow had ceased, Sasuke bit off a strip of gauze with his teeth and wrapped it tightly under her leg. Sakura flinched at the pinching pressure involuntarily, her brows coming together in an obvious show of discomfort. Sasuke didn't let up though, knowing infection could set in if he allowed air to seep through. Turning towards the faucet in the bathroom, Sasuke grabbed another towel, holding it under the cool water before squeezing out the excess.

When he turned back, he noticed Sakura had changed position on the bed. She was now on her side, curled up in the fetal position, her pink hair splayed out across the two pillows under her head. Smirking, Sasuke padded over, gently adjusting her so that he could apply the damp cloth to a few of the major burns before wrapping them loosely with the gauze, his mind diving back into his head.

Flashback

It was two A.M. in the morning by the time he arrived back to his apartment. The mission (If one could even call it that) with Lee and Naruto had left his muscles throbbing, though the mild pain was comforting in its own way. Even without his full chakra back, doing Manuel labor, no matter how irritating, had felt like a needed work out. Anything was better than doing nothing.

Sasuke paused as he pulled out the key to the lock, staring at the slim crack of his door. Narrowing his eyes, he pressed gently against the oak wood, the door giving a resentful low screech at the applied pressure. His eyes, once cold and black, faded into a dark crimson as he activated his sharingon.

He never left his door unlocked, much less open. Somebody had been there.

Nothing seemed amiss in the living room. His eyes scanned the stack of books, looking for anything out of place, before proceeding towards the kitchen. In the silence, a soft squeak of metal reverted off the walls to his ears.

He vanished from his spot, reappearing outside a closed door. He stood silent, reaching in his side pouch for shuriken. From where he stood, a faint chakra signature could be registered, though so small, he could only feel it when it pulsed. The sound of movement ceased, and Sasuke, cautiously, slowly, gripped the cold metal door knob in his hand.

The soft throb that pulsated his senses matched the rhythm of a heartbeat, thumping slowly and steadily. Closer Sasuke drew to the door, carefully placing his back against the dark oak. There was a soft click as the door flew open. His hand stopped mid air as he stared at the pink mass of hair mixed with the soft white of the sheets.

Sakura. Sakura?

Keeping the weapon raised, Sasuke stepped closer to the bed, peering down. The deep navy blue comforter was cast aside, revealing a slim, toned figure in his wake, outlined by the cream silk sheets. His eyes traveled up towards her face, hidden from view by her pink locks. Silently, so as not to wake the figure, Sasuke pressed the edge of the shuriken against the jugular vein in her neck, being careful so as not to prick the skin. Gently, his fingertips brushed back the hairs of her head so as to reveal the pale skin of her face.

At his touch, Sakura's eyes gradually flickered open. As soon as her emerald eyes met his, he pulled back his weapon, knowing now that she wasn't a fake. Her eyes were something no ninja could ever copy, because unlike other shinobi, Sakura seemed to be filled with a complete other presence. They were always deeper and more profound than any other eyes he has ever glanced into. And in return, they seemed to see the depth in another person's eyes.

She didn't move as she watched with an empty expression as he pocketed the sharp weapon.

"Sasuke...?" she croaked, her voice hoarse from lack of use. Sasuke looked back at her, his sharp eyes locking in on the dark blotches under her eyes. She was exhausted, so much so that even now, he could barely register her unique chakra signal. "I'm sorry, I didn't know when you'd get home, and I knew you lived clos-"

"It's fine," he murmured, already turning back towards his own room. "Go back to sleep."

Sakura sat up even more, allowing the sheets to fall beside her, revealing her bare shoulders, clothed only in a black tank top. Sakura wobbled as she delicately placed her bare feet on the cool wooden floor, shivering. Sasuke paused, watching as she unsteadily made her way towards him with her hand braced against the wall. Her skin shone a soft, pale glow in the darkness, and Sasuke couldn't help but eye the petite girl.

"You're bleeding." She murmured quietly. Stopping in front of him, Sakura raised her hand to the slit in his collarbone where a nail had bit into him. The cut was small, but deep. Sasuke stopped her, grabbing her wrist in a firm and gentle grip.

"Not tonight."

Sakura looked up, confused. He motioned towards the guest bed, indicating that she should go back to it.

A crease descended upon her brow as she said, "It will only take a-"

"Sakura." Sasuke shook his head, releasing her wrist; it was apparent that she didn't even realize how tired she was. "Go back to sleep."

Making his way towards the living room, Sasuke silently shut the front door with a soft click before making his way towards his room. A muffled thud suddenly caught his attention, and Sasuke glanced inside to find Sakura adjusting the covers over her body, her head turned away from the door. Smirking, Sasuke turned to walk away when he caught sight of a white slip on the wooden desk. He paused, picking it up to examine.

After a few moments pause, Sasuke eyed the pink haired girl once again, an alien feeling pooling into the pit of his stomach. With a small grunt, Sasuke laid the Band-Aid back down atop the flat surface, cracking the door before he threw off his shirt and climbed into his own warm covers embrace.

End Flashback

When he was done wrapping the wounds, Sasuke picked up a blanket from a chair in the corner, draping it over her form. He smirked as Sakura unconsciously gripped at the edges, snuggling into the apparent warmth it brought her. There was a soft sigh that caught Sasuke's ears, and he allowed his eyes to travel to her face. Her expression looked content.

With a nod of finality, Sasuke switched off the lamp at the desk, and turned to head back out, knowing Naruto would give him hell the next day if he didn't go back down to help.


"Where are they!"

"Naruto, would you chill out already? Tsunade has everyth-"

"Where are they, Kiba!"

Hinata stepped in front of the two men, placing her hands on Kiba's chest as he made a move towards the blonde. "Please, stop! Arguing won't do any-"

"Idiot! Do you think I'm happy about this? I'm just as frustrated as you are!" Kiba growled, arching a fist at the angered blonde.

Naruto gripped his hair, throwing his head back with an arresting cry. "We just got done building these damned houses! Now look at them!" Naruto pointed a finger animatedly at the pile of wood and smoldering embers.

"Ahh, come off it. Only two houses burned completely, its not like the entire neighborhood went up in flames!"

At this, the blonde threw his hands up in exasperation, glaring at the Inuzuka clan member with something close to incredulity. "Are you serious?" he shouted, drawing the attention of a few on-lookers. "Only. Only?" Naruto glared once more, drawing a fist. "Why I ought to-"

"Naruto." Hinata and Sasuke said the name together.

The spiked blonde, dropping his fist, turned toward the raven haired male. A thin, pale line bubbled up on the horizon, allowing enough light for Naruto to see the dust and grim on his teammates clothes.

"So you came back, did you?" Naruto snickered, seeming to have already forgotten his argument with Kiba.

Sasuke arched in eyebrow at the blonde, deciding not to say anything. Naruto watched Sasuke for a moment, allowing his smile to fade. "So," he began, seriously, "How's Sakura?"

Hinata looked up, confused. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong, did something happen?"

Sasuke ignored her, addressing Naruto. "Hn. She's fine. It's only exhaustion."

"Well, considering one of the houses collapsed on her, I'd say she got pretty lucky."

Hinata looked at Kiba, her face horrified. "A house... collapsed on her!"

Sasuke eyed the Inuzuka clan member, his fingers instinctively twitching slightly. Naruto, missing the gesture, nodded in understanding. It could have been a lot worse, considering the details of the mishap.

"Hn."

A large crash resounded behind them, and all four ninja turned to see a villager emerging from a cloud of dust, coughing. "Damn those kids! Look what they've done-" The senior stopped, turning towards the eight pair of eyes on him. "Oh- Is that you, Naruto?" The old man narrowed his eyes, drawing nearer.

"Hey, old man!" Naruto called, waving his hand. Hinata weaved around Kiba, wrapping her arm around the man's waist in order to keep him upright. His face was painted black by the ashes and grime, and he carried in his hand a small photo. Stopping beside the group of shinobi, the senior buckled over, giving a a cracked, wet cough before turning behind him to spit. Sasuke shut his eyes in disgust while the others made faces.

"You alright?" Naruto asked, giving the elder man a slap on the back, to which he once again buckled over.

"Naruto." Kiba growled, annoyed. The man gave another throaty croak before blinking at each of the ninja around him, his eyes lingering on both Naruto and Sasuke. "You-" he began in a low croak, pointing a bony finger at the blonde, "You were just like them. Mischievous, thoughtless, destructive-"

Naruto cleared his throat, throwing his chin in the air. The man ignored him.

"-irksome and disobedient. But-' The man paused for emphasis, smiling. "but, you my dear boy, have brought the village together as one." Naruto blinked, seeming to have awoken from some lost dream from long ago.

"And you, Sasuke Uchiha-" The old man hummed, looking solemn. Sasuke opened his eyes again, allowing his cool, dark hues to rest in the elder's blue ones. "you, who at such a young age, have seen what most men miss in a lifetime, have finally seen the light-" The elder man trailed off in a whisper, and Sasuke felt like the man was looking at something totally beyond his physical form, but into the spirit within, into the pain and bloodshed hidden inside. Coldness prickled him, and he suddenly felt very vulnerable; a feeling he had never quite experienced before.

It was then that he agreed with himself that this was no ordinary man. He was somebody; perhaps even a retired shinobi.

"Well then-" The old man shook his head, snapping out of the trance that appeared to have consumed him. "If you will, I could use your assistance in moving the wooden planks to the crafts men. Come now!" Hinata cast a glance at the two silent shinobi before them. She didn't think either of them really heard him. Nudging Kiba, she said, "Come on, Kiba, we should help."


Shizune flinched as Tsunade continued with another round of her harangue, watching from under her bangs as the group of kids before her got stripped of their pride and dignity. Tsunade, shoving her chair around to face the panel of windows, gave an aggravated growl.

"Now get out. All of you!"

"H-hai!"

The black haired assistant waited until the students bowed and left before she cautiously glanced at the fuming Hockage. "L-lady Tsu-"

"What now!"

Shizune gulped, cringing before she stepped in front of Tsunade's paper strewn desk, thankful that she didn't have to meet the Hockage's large, Carmel eyes. "Don't you think that you were a little harsh on them? It was an acc-"

"I was harsh on them?" Tsunade whirled around so fast in her chair, Shizune leapt back with a yelp at the suddenness off it. "If anything, I was lenient with them!"

"Yes, bu-"

Tsunade gave a loud sigh, rolling her eyes. "A week of suspension from the academy in order to help rebuild what they burned down is fitting punishment! I will not have a crowd of hooligans destroying our village!"

"Yes, I understand, but-"

A knock on the door suddenly erupted them. Tsunade pushed herself out of her chair, bracing her body on the edge of her desk. "Come in!" she barked, irritation dripping heavily from her tone in voice. At the sight of Sai's pale skin and black eyes, Tsunade gave a sigh of relief, plopping herself back in her chair.

"So what news do you bring?"

"We have a total of nine injured, excluding the students. All in all, I believe we fared well considering the factors of the event." Tsunade nodded, motioning for the ANBU to continue. "Shinobi have been sent out to help the villagers with the reconstruction of the houses."

Tsunade grunted in approval. "And what of the fireworks the kids set off?"

"Bombs," Sai concluded, "designed in the shape of a rocket so as to reach long distances. Apparently, the ones they got a hold off were cast aside, as the shape of the container rounded with the density of the sustenance contained within."

The female hockage narrowed her eyes. "Cast aside? What do you mean they were cast aside?"

Sai blinked, unsure of how to answer. Tsunade waved a hand at him, dismissing the question with a huff of breath. "Never mind that, I'll get to the matter later. Is that all the news you have?"

"Not exactly."

Tsunade paused. Slowly, she laced her fingers together, leaning forward on the oak tabletop. "Go on."

"Sakura is one of the nine who has been injured. As far as I know, her injuries are fairly mild, but I would recommend that you find a replacement for her patients at the time being."

Again, the Hockage nodded. "Thank you Sai. You may go if that is all."

The ANBU bowed before retreated behind the oak door. Shizune blew her bangs aside as she maneuvered herself to stand beside the Hockage. "Would you like me to look through the list of available medics?"

Tsunade shook her head, turning to watch the top of the sun emerge from the billowing clouds, now reflected a bright pink and orange. "That won't be necessary- I'll see about her patients."

Shizune, alarmed, opened her mouth to argue, but closed it quickly, knowing that the blonde women had been confined to the Hockage tower for some time lately. It would do her some good to get back to the hospital for a while.

"Well- I guess that would be alr-"

"Good! Then I will leave my paper work with you, then."

Shizune blinked in surprise as Tsunade rushed passed her, disappearing behind her double doors with a 'Poof.' Then, realization slapped her across the chest as she turned back to a stack of fresh papers on her desk. What had she done?

"LADY TSUNADE!"


Sakura knew she was asleep, stuck in the "In-between" of consciousness and unconsciousness, and so she heard the door open and shut gently; subconsciously knew there was a presence with her and knew also that the presence was drawing nearer to her by the sound of footsteps. But she didn't have the strength to open her eyes, didn't have the will to move, and so she settled for shifting her body further into the blankets, taking in the scent of warm, crisp linen. Shifting her head downward, she could smell a subtle, musky scent, like that of leaves and bark.

She inhaled softly, trying to remember why the scent seemed so familiar. She felt herself diving deeper into sleep, the sounds becoming lost to her ears as she listened to her own heartbeat. The footsteps softened as she heard a squeak from a nearby door, but still, she didn't move; didn't want to move.

She knew the presence was staring at her form. Even in her state, she could feel the weight of the gaze, but she ignored it. In her head, she was dreaming about the fire. It was all around her, drawing nearer to her, suffocating her. Only, unlike reality, everything was silent. There was no roar, no crackling discharge of burning wood, no echoes of civilian cries.

And then the dream vanished as her eyes fluttered open at the heated touch on her forehead, the vision of Sasuke pulling her up dissolving into deep, black eyes. It took her a second to figure out where she was. Blinking sleep away, she could see the light, cream-colored walls, highlighted by the sun's rays filtering through a nearby window, the dark, wooden bed frame at her feet, matching opaque wooden flooring; this wasn't her room. This was-

"Drink this."

The stupor of sleep was now departing her body, leaving her susceptible to the sharp aches in her figure that had previously been numbed by unconsciousness. She winced as she sat up, taking the glass of water in her hands. An odd feeling began creeping into her veins as Sasuke waited patiently for her to finish the drink.

She relished the feeling of the water trickling down her throat, cooling the scratching pangs that had begun to ail her. "Thanks," she croaked, clearing her throat before she passed the empty glass back. She stopped when she saw the white bandages on her arm.

"You did this?" She whispered, barely keeping the astonishment out of her voice. Sasuke nodded, turning towards the chair at the corner of the room.

Throwing back the covers, Sakura was thankful to find all her articles of clothing were still on, blushing involuntarily at the thought mere thought of-

Sakura pinched her hand, stopping her train of thought where it stood, dismissing it immediately. There was no point in fantasizing over something that would never be.

Ignoring the stiffness of her body, Sakura stood up, deciding to look at her injuries. They didn't all need her attention, she decided, looking at a scratch on her forearm, and so she concentrated chakra into the areas that caused her the most pain. Her eyes began creeping shut as she plopped down on the bed. She was so tired. She could feel the weight of sleep pressing in on her, begging her for another short nap...

"I should probably go back to the Hospital- after last night, we may be-"

"You have the day off."

Sakura blinked as a thin scroll was tossed into her lap. Picking it up, she found Tsunade's delicate handwriting scribbled on the blotched parchment.

Sakura-

Don't worry about work for the next couple of days, I'm putting you on bed rest for

the time being. Hockage's order.

-Tsunade

After a moment, she raised her eyes to the raven haired male in the corner, now reading a book.

"You're covered in soot." She said after a moment, eyeing the black grime on his clothes and skin. He didn't comment. Sakura gave a sigh, pushing the awkwardness away from her.

"Why are you here?" She tried again, but immediately regretted opening her mouth. Sasuke smirked at her, to which Sakura ignored.

"I live here."

"Right." Sakura bit her lip, feeling for the first time in a long time unsure of herself. She frowned, watching Sasuke under her loose hair. She wasn't sure what to do now. She was awake; tired, but awake. And now, she had nothing to do.

The thought unsettled her. She wasn't used to not working- but then again, having nothing to do for a couple of days wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Come to think of it... she now had time to work on her research for the immune system. She smiled at the thought. Her days wouldn't be pointless after all.

Stretching her back, Sakura reluctantly pulled herself up, catching Sasuke's attention. Her limp didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, thank you Sasuke," she nodded at her bandages and the bed. "But I best be on my way." She paused, glancing at the seated figure in the corner. "You're not hurt?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"If you're going to the Hospital to work, forget it."

Sakura opened her mouth, a flash of anger sparking in her, but shut it quickly. Her eyebrows twitched, leaving a crease in her forehead.

"Sasuke, I can do what I want- and in any case," she added defensively, her tone sharp, "I'm going to the library, not the Hospital."

Sasuke watched as she briskly brushed past the hallway and out the front door, leaving nothing but a small dip in the bed and a profound silence that seemed to stretch for eternity in her wake. Silence has never bothered the Uchiha- in fact, he was more comfortable with it by his side. It was his shadow, his sidekick, his follower.

But for some reason, the silence now felt heavy; burdened. Shaking his head, Sasuke put the book away, pulling his shirt off as he opened the restroom door. A cold shower was just what he needed.

And yes, he would take it in silence.


(A/N)

Thank you all for the wonderful and kind reviews! They are a great encouragement to me during the times of struggle.

I want to give a special shout out to alayneni :) for reminding me of why I began writing in the first place. Not for fame, or praise, or whatever- but for the simple joy it brings to others and me.

With that being said, I hope you enjoyed the third chapter! ^_^

Until next time- Colani.