Edited: 12/12/08 – Some changes made to the original, so please re-read!! xxtokidokixx)
With you, but still lonely
Chapter Four– Fourth day - Doubts and Deals
It was early afternoon and the city's market was in full bloom. But, the city's everyday hustle and bustle was interrupted by a series of short, sharp screams. At this time of day, it was not unusual to hear this kind of noise and the cries came more frequently now, as the end of the year came ever closer. They were coming from his quarters.
That he, was in truth Orochimaru. Ever since the Sandaime had sealed his arms away, they had caused him nothing but insufferable pain. Yet it had been almost six years since that event had taken place, and still the pain refused to die.
His faithful servant, Kabuto, had spent many years trying to heal his arms, but with no success. He had used many different types of jutsus to take away any pain that he could, but his skills were not advanced enough to make any real difference. So Orochimaru also had to make many offers to his old team mate Tsunade, who was now the fifth Hokage and also known as the best medic-nin to ever live. But yet again, his efforts were in vain and his body was rapidly beginning to reject him.
He only had one option left - to transfer in to his new container…or in other words, Sasuke. The Sanin was thankful that he had only a few weeks until he could relocate, since the last transfer, and he would finally gain the power to crush every opponent and village that stood in his way…starting with Konoha.
His revenge would begin as soon as he transferred; gaining not only the use of his limbs again, but also the use of the sharingan. Orochimaru – it would soon be a name that would be once again is feared throughout the land, and even the slightest mention of his name would make his enemies quiver in fear. He would soon be the most powerful person to ever live. Yet, from the blood curdling cries that were erupting from his mouth, caused by the pain in his arms, his ultimate dream seemed like a far off fantasy.
The pained cries continued - grating away any happiness that dared stay within the walls of Otogakure. But as loud and disturbing as they were, the villagers seemed to not hear them, and continued on their daily activities as usual.
Hatred, and resentment towards others, was what Orochimaru believed drove you forward and gave you power. And with power, nothing was impossible.
This was also the belief of a young man - who lay silent in a small dark room. He had dedicated his life to intense training from the objectionable Sanin, so that he could make the once thought impossible dream, a reality. Though they both aimed for ultimate power, the end results of their obtainment were very different.
One was a delirious old man who wanted nothing more than to take over the world. While the other, was young, very powerful, and hell-bent on revenge for his clan.
As the younger of the two lay on the small single bed, his watchful eyes dwelled on the small sleeping form, lightly breathing next to him. The lack of space on the single bed meant that the two bodies had to lie very close together – not that he minded. The dark haired man moved his arms so they held securely on to the waist of the woman next to him, ultimately pulling them even closer.
…No… he definitely didn't mind her closeness...
His dark eyes examined her peaceful, sleeping features. While slowly browsing her face, he thought about every night he had dreamt of this moment, where he lay with her in his arms, whispering sweet nothings to her until she fell asleep. Then clutching on to him, she would tell of her endless vows of love for him - and only him. Thought the latter part of his dream may not have been happening at that time, for now he was content.
He slowly looked her over; taking in her physical changes over the years they had been apart. He smiled when he finally realised that she had truly grown up. Unlike when she was younger, she now had an authoritative air around her. From her records, that were stored in Orochimaru's lair, he knew that she was also under the training of a Sanin, the healer Tsunade, and had become a very important person to Konoha. Not only did she spend hours in the hospital, healing the sick, she was also the ambassador for the village and was always going off to sign alliances with the other hidden villages.
Yes...he thought...she has finally grown up.
Another thing he noticed was her figure. So not only had she grown up, but she had also become a woman.
He smiled genuinely down at her and inched closer, slowly taking her all in.
Close, but not touching.
…she is perfect…
Once again, she had grown out her hair again after cutting it those many years ago, in the Chuunin exams. He stroked it experimentally, to see if she would stir. His hand shook in a mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear. He was afraid she would reject him. But his gentle touch did nothing but draw the slumbering kunoichi closer to him as she rolled over, clutching tightly to his chest to revel in the warmth his body gave off. He froze in shock, his body rigid and his arms stiff. After a while he moved his hand experimentally and when he was pleased he wouldn't wake her he teasingly tugged at her pink tresses and smirked - he liked her long hair. He pondered on this thought while softly stroking her long, silky locks. He then took his hand to her cheek, and with a ghostly caress, he followed the shape of her face. He leisurely took in her every detail, remembering every bump and curve.
Every day he saw this face – when he trained, when he ate, every second of the day. She plagued his dreams and his every waking thought. She was like a drug to him and with the more of her he touched; the more he wanted of her — she was addictive.
After thinking about it for a long time, he soon began to understand the reason for why she was always popping up in his thoughts - he had truly missed her. Yet when he sat down and thought about it further, the reason why he had missed her, always escaped him.
…why…
As he lost himself in his thoughts, his fingers unconsciously brushed briefly across her pink lips. At the sudden cold contact she whimpered slightly and moaned when he did it again. Intrigued at the strange sensation he was now feeling, he reached out his hand again wanting to discover more of this unknown sensation. As his hand came slowly towards her face, a loud knock broke through the silence.
…knock, knock, knock…
After a few seconds, a voice from outside the door spoke up, "Sakura-chan…Sakura-chan!" When no response came, the person once again knocked, this time a little louder.
"Sakura-chan, are you still in there? Orochimaru-sama has requested your presence for lunch. Please wash and ready yourself for this meeting and I will come along later to take you to him."
Again, no response.
"-sigh- Do not keep him waiting. He is not in a very good mood today, so please be ready when I come for you. There should be clothes to change in to in the wardrobe beside the bed. So, change out of your other clothes, and try to look presentable. I will be back in an hour."
Footsteps could be heard walking away from the door, from inside the room. The two figures lay silent on the bed - one apparently still asleep, the other wide awake.
The girl slept silently on the bed, but this time her gentle snores were non-existent. As the dark haired man beside her stood swiftly and made his way to the door, he sighed and turned round to face the bed once again. He hesitantly reached out his hand, but drew back quickly in fear. It took him a few seconds to regain his confidence and he once again reached out his fingers and softly stroked her arm till she stirred.
"He will be back soon…you should get dressed."
As he went through the door, the girl he left behind in the dark room let out a small gasp. When he had at last walked out of hearing distance, she lay in total shock with her limbs slightly shaking in disbelief and eyes wide in astonishment. Where the hell am I?
But soon enough the recent happenings came back to her.She sighed dishearteningly, and lay on the small bed thinking about everything that had happened over the past few days. She had been on a mission, collecting data on some rogue ninja, then somehow been kidnapped by Sasuke, then escaped his grasp only to fall in to the hands of Kabuto - and then ultimately Orochimaru.
"Man…my life is great." She snorted sarcastically as she got up slowly, and slid off of the bed. She ran over to the door and shook it experimentally. No luck. For now she only had one option and so she had come to decision that she was going to play along to Orochimaru's little game…well for now at least and she would bide her time for her escape. She made her way to the side of the bed and opened the wooden wardrobe, searching for something be it weapon, pillow, clothes or all three. A small glint of light caught her eye and she realised that, after leaving her, Sasuke had left the door slightly ajar.
It was her chance to escape! With Sasuke off somewhere, probably training, Orochimaru on the brink of death and Kabuto not coming back for another hour, she could easily sneak out and then run like there was no tomorrow. Just vaguely remembering the path that Kabuto had taken her through when she first got in to the building, she drew out a mental map for her great escape.
As she slowly crept towards the light, the unbolted door looked harmless, yet she knew that there had to be some trick to it being left open.
Look underneath the underneath – Kakashi's 'words of wisdom' rang through her head over and over as she slowly walked towards the door. Gradually she lifted her hand cautiously to the gap and slowly, but surely, passed her hand through the open space.
…Nothing…
She let out a sigh of relief. There was nothing there at all. No exploding tag, jutsu or trap of any kind – but what was she expecting? She was obviously brought here for some reason and if they tried to blow her every time she tried to escape, then there would have been no point in bringing her here in the first place.
"Words of wisdom my ass!" she said stridently, while standing up and brushing herself down. Walking briskly out the room she immediately met the wall. In mere seconds she was flipped on to her front with her chest grinding roughly against the solid stone that was now seemingly becoming a permanent feature on her body. When she struggled against the firm weight holding her, the mass only seemed to increase as she put up more of a fight. She tried to struggle this way and that, only to be suddenly rolled over and on to her back again. But this time she could see no weight holding her down – no, it was him…
…Sasuke….
He smirked as he saw her visibly pale after seeing his face, their eyes locked in a battle of dominance. He leaned in closer, slowly breathing in her intoxicating scent and leant then his head in the crook of her neck. She struggled and struggled, but to no avail. He did not move. He kept her bent arms pinned by her sides while he just stood there, leaning on her…breathing on her. His unfamiliar behaviour made her fearful as she did not know what would happen next. So she decided to try and get the hell out of there before she would ever find out.
"Stop..." he whispered soothingly.
Again and again she struggled against his firm grip, her nails scratching every inch of his hands. Yet he did not make a move to stop her, or even flinch as her nails began to gradually cut his skin. This lack of emotion scared her the most. There was no anger, irritation or annoyance - he just stood there…calm and peaceful.
"Stop..." He said again.
As the seconds passed, she began to relax slightly in his grip.
This was not the Sasuke she knew…no, definitely not the Sasuke that she knew. He had changed – but not in a good way. The new Sasuke did not ignore her, he showed open interest in her now, yet his change in attitudes frightened her. He now had no morals – he was capable of anything. At the thought of having truly lost him, she began to cry. Tears fell down her face rapidly, but her tears would not stop, even if she willed them to.
…Sasuke was…gone…gone…
His head shot up and a confused look crossed his beautiful features.
"Stop..." he murmured.
He gently wiped away her tears away, while grasping her chin in his hand. Green met black. She looked away from his intense stare and focused on a spot on the floor. Black turned to red. His grip on her loosened and her arms were released.
"Why…why do you cry?" His tone held a slight trace of anger, yet only the vivid colour of his crimson eyes hinted the emotion he was actually feeling. After she did not reply to him, he yanked her chin forward and forced his eyes upon hers. She was terrified, he could see that. And what angered him most, was that she was terrified of him.
"…why are you afraid…" He whispered as he took a gentle step closer to her and reached out his hand to stroke her bottom lip with the tip of his thumb. He slowly closed the gap between them and stood so close that their lips were almost touching. "…of me?"
As soon as he had uttered those words, Sakura pushed forcefully against his chest and ran in to the small, dark room she had, only a moment ago, escaped from. With a loud bang, the door bolted shut and the dark haired man was left standing in the middle the hall…alone. He scowled at the empty space she had once been in and furiously walked off, towards the dining hall. She could not escape him that easily.
The girl lay on the floor weeping. She had lost her first love and had it replaced with a psychotic manic. She was alone…she had no one…
For what felt like hours, she lay on the cold, smooth floor, her mind blank. Images of what had just happened in the hall flashed in her mind and she violently flinched as she thought of what he could have done to her if she had not stopped him when she did. It wasn't him anymore and it made her sick.
She lay by the door, sobbing over her lost lover, when her thoughts were once again interrupted, but this time it was from the growling in her stomach. She had not eaten in a long time and lunch seemed quite tempting – even if it was with a cold hearted you-know-what like Orochimaru. She didn't dare think what would happen if she did not turn up.
She inhaled deeply and wiped away any remaining tears. She had to be strong if she was going to escape. She gradually stood up, after finally calming down and sidled across to the wardrobe. Every outfit she saw was the same, and for some strange reason, they all seemed to be in her size.
…had they planned this?...
She picked out a plain yukata and slacks and headed over to the corner where she supposed the bathroom was located. Upon opening the door she was faced with a small toilet, sink and shower. She turned on the water and was surprised to see that the only running water was cold. She sighed and pulled off her dirty clothes and jumped in to the shower.
After scrubbing for over ten minutes, she was content, and so hastily jumped out and into a large fluffy towel. She walked in to the room again and plopped herself down on the bed. She soon fell backwards and began to slowly drift off…until a loud knock echoed across the room. The drowsy girl jumped up in shock and called out a sleepy, "Hang on…I'm just coming!"
She ran frantically around the room, trying desperately to get ready for her 'big meeting' with Orochimaru. Her growling stomach also reminded her of why she was really going...free grub! But she had no time to sit and contemplate her thoughts as she hastily threw up her hair in to a messy bun with a few pink strands left, shaping her face. She ran to the door and swung it open to find Kabuto on the other side, jaw wide open.
"Shall we be going then?" She said as cheerily as she could and stood behind him, waiting for him to lead the way. He took her swiftly down many zigzagging corners and past hundreds of rooms, until they arrived at a very grand door.
Well...This is it…
The doors swung open to reveal a dimly lit dining hall with a large table in the middle. At one end sat a chair that rivalled many thrones, and sitting in that chair, was Orochimaru himself. He smirked as he saw her tremble slightly after locking eyes with him for merely a second and then turning her gaze to the bountiful amounts of food that decorated the table before her.
After she did not move, Kabuto forcefully lead her by the arm to a seat at the opposite end of the table, to Orochimaru. She sat down cautiously, while eyeing up all the delicious food that surrounded her. It was only then, that she realised how ravenous she really was. Her fingers itched to grab the ripe fruit that lay in a small bowl beside her, and she could feel herself almost drooling. She was really, really hungry.
Just as she was about to grab herself an apple, a smooth voice called out to her. She immediately shot her eyes in that direction, only to see Orochimaru staring directly at her. His golden eyes showed malevolence and death. She recoiled back in to her chair and whimpered slightly when she felt something brush against her leg. She quickly looked down and then wished she hadn't. A giant constrictor snake was slowly sliding its way past her, wrapping itself around the table leg as it went.
"It's so nice to see you again…Haruno Sakura." He chuckled, as he saw her visibly shiver, but he continued nevertheless. "Now, I know you will probably be wondering what you are here for, well…I have a proposition for you…"
