Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
AN: Ugh. Having some serious writers block. This is so different from my usual style of writing. Please read and review to let me know what you think! =)
…
Mikoto watched him, rapt, as he talked about Sakura and the feelings she evoked in him. She leaned closer as he explained, his eyes trained on the glass in his hands, about how he had lied to Sakura to get her to follow him as peacefully as possible, and how once he got to know her, he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. She smiled. Sasuke had one of the softest hearts, whether he admitted to it or not.
"And then one day, she sang for me, and it was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard." Sasuke looked tentatively up at his mother, cheeks tinged with the slightest hint of pink. He had never felt this way about another person before, and most certainly didn't expect for his first love to be with a mermaid, but he knew he could trust his mother if no one else. He felt deflated, to have lied to her and gained her trust, disappointed in himself for his selfishness and refusal to let her go even knowing her consequences. He knew he should have let her go the moment he realised his feelings for her, but he couldn't bear to be separated from her. He wanted to show her his world and maybe one day, see hers too.
Mikoto was hit with a powerful surge of adrenaline, her heart beating like frightened birds in her chest. She wasn't sure if the tales of a mermaid's song held true, Sakura was the second mermaid ever brought into Konoha and nobody she knew of had heard a mermaid sing.
"Sasuke-chan…what do you mean she sang for you?" He lifted his eyes to meet hers, not quite understanding the apprehension in her eyes.
"She just sang. It wasn't a song I knew or heard of before. But…the feelings it evoked in me…it was powerful. I can't…I don't know how to describe it."
"I'll talk to your father about it, Sasu-chan. Try to get some rest."
Anxiously, she left Sasuke's room and moved down the hall towards the study. Her thoughts were running wild, conflicted with worry but also pleased with Sasuke's honesty, both to himself and her.
…
His chamber was eerily quiet, but if he tried hard enough he could still hear screams echoing. There was a distinct smell of old blood, no matter how much it smelled like antiseptic. The lights on the ceiling flickered, and Sasuke reminded himself to never step foot into Orochimaru's quarter unnecessarily. His desk was located in the far corner of the room, papers scattered all over it. There was a glass cabinet next to it, filled with bottles and gauze and everything else he needed for his work.
It was silent in the room for a very long time before Orochimaru finally glanced up at him, above the rim of his glasses, and smiled.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, Sasuke-sama?"
"Orochimaru." Sasuke's voice was icy, and it irked him to see Orochimaru's grin grow wider, despite the obvious fear in his eyes.
"I don't care about the arrangements you have, but she is off limits."
…
The sun was setting when Sasuke finally came to visit her. She was staring out the window by her tank, watching as the blue sky gradually faded into a mirage of pinks and oranges.
"Can we go somewhere?" She turned to stare longingly at him. Being with Sasuke out at sea was like an adventure, always something new, something exciting.
"No."
She looked at him curiously. "But we used to leave the Kusanagi while we were out at sea. Why can't we do the same here?"
"It's…it's different here, Sakura. I hope you know."
But she didn't know. How was she supposed to know, if he didn't tell her anything? If he left here in a strange place all by herself, where people she didn't know came and looked at her as if she were an exhibit? Katsuyu was separated from her the moment they arrived in Konoha, and Sasuke had assured her that she was safe. And she trusted Sasuke.
"I want to feel the sun. And the wind."
She turned back to stare through the window at the outside world. The garden had an almost ethereal glow in the setting sun. Sakura trees lined the perfectly manicured lawn, and in the far corner there was a pond as large as a small lake, flowering lily pads dotted all over it and a little wooden bridge that crossed the middle. Sakura could imagine the pond, full of life, and yearned to be one with it.
He looked at her for a long moment, unsure of what to say. He raked his fingers through his hair, and huffed in exasperation. He understood why she was so desperate to go out. After all, it was what he had promised her if she followed him. Adventure. Excitement. And he wanted to give it all to her, just to see her smile. But he understood the consequences if they were caught. He would bring shame to the Uchiha name and he would most likely be disowned…and she…she would meet her fate, perhaps in a more gruesome way.
While he was lost in his thoughts, she studied him. Was it wrong to think that he was beautiful? There was a deep yearning within her, to be close to him again. To feel his hot breath against her lips. To be so close to him that their noses would touch.
"Sasuke-kun."
He hummed in response, and she mustered up the courage.
"Would things be better? If…if I was just like you?"
Not a mermaid. But a human girl.
"Perhaps. But there's no use dwelling on the impossible."
…
She turned away from the window when he entered the room. Her eyes lit up with excitement when she saw another book in his hands. Nearly four weeks had passed since her time in Konoha, and Sasuke had taken to visiting her every night, after he carried out his duties during the day. And every night without fail, he would bring a book with him. Always a different book, and he would read to her. Last night, he had read her the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet.
He stood in front of the tank, and opened the book. It was a photo album. And there were pictures of Sasuke. Sasuke as a baby, Sasuke as a child, Sasuke as a teenager. He was grinning brightly and smiling in some, and sulky and sullen in others. A genuine smile crept to her lips as he flipped the pages, pausing to tell her about the memories some of the pictures evoked. His first day at school. His first hunt with Itachi. His first time on a ship.
"I was thinking we might be able to go out tomorrow night," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. "Itachi will help us."
It took her a moment before she could fully comprehend what he was saying, and when she did, her lips involuntarily curved into the biggest smile Sasuke had seen.
…
She looked at him nervously, and back to Karin. She hadn't seen the both of them since her first night in Konoha. Everything around her was silent and all she could hear was her own breathing. The breeze from the open window. His unblinking yellow gaze unnerved her, and she willed herself to be brave.
"What do you want?"
While Karin barred her teeth and threw the nastiest glare she could muster her way, Orochimaru merely smiled.
"We heard that Sasuke-sama's taking you on a little adventure tonight, Sakura-chan. I'm merely here to offer my assistance."
"Assistance? How?"
"Sakura-chan. Surely you've thought about how hard it would be for Sasuke-sama to get you out of here?"
The feeling of foreboding grew with his smile, and she involuntarily felt shivers go up her spine. Instinct told her that he wasn't safe to be around, that he shouldn't be trusted, but the offer of freedom was something she found hard to deny.
…
"Where is she?"
"Now, now. Calm down, Sasuke-sama."
"I won't be so polite the next time. Where. Is. She.?"
He felt his heart stop in his chest and his stomach lurched when he found her tank empty. Nobody had permission to remove her. And nobody was stupid enough to try. Except Orochimaru.
"I've always wondered what she would look like if she was more…human." His chuckle unnerved him.
"What the fuck did you do to her?"
"I think you should calm down, Sasuke-sama. We could chat over a cup of hot tea. Or sake, if you prefer."
His face blackened in anger, Sharingan blazing red. Sasuke's hands shot out and his fingers wrapped dangerously around Orochimaru's throat.