Chapter Six: Late Night Encounters pt.2
Disclaimer: I do not nor ever shall own Naruto!
Sasuke heard a faint, vaguely familiar sound on the wind, but instinctively reached for the hilt of his katana.
It wasn't until he was within feet of Sakura that he realized it was her at all…
Her chakra control—even emotionally distraught as she was—was flawless and he hadn't sensed it until he was right on top of her. She was maintaining her masking chakra subconsciously, he realized.
"Sakura…" He breathed gently, unwilling to startle her.
"Sa…Sasuke? What…what are you doing here?" She asked.
"Coming after you." He smiled.
"I don't need your protection, if that's what you think." She replied.
"I know you don't." He assured her as he scooted in beside her, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
"The great Uchiha Sasuke comforting me? What ulterior motives could you possibly have?" She asked bitterly.
"No ulterior motives." He said, holding his hands up to show no offense had been taken. "Just a friend wanting to help another friend."
"Friend?" Sakura snapped.
"Let me help you. The way you tried to help me." He said, drawing her close against the night air.
"I don't have to remind you I failed."
"But that was entirely my fault. This time it'll work." He promised.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because you can't stand to lose and I can't stand to cause any more pain to the people I love." Sasuke replied, feeling very uncomfortable at revealing so much of himself but knowing he had without a doubt proven he was a different person.
"I'm….I'm willing to try." Sakura said reluctantly, feeling past hurts rising to the surface.
"Thank you." He said, holding her close and resting his head on top of her's.
Feeling her stomach spasm again, she winced.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"My stomach." She replied.
Sasuke frowned. He had seen her wince a few times and she had fumbled twice when reaching for a branch, but he hadn't seen her seriously injured…
And then he remembered the scar…
"Is it from…What happened to you?"
"We were going after Gaara—Akasuki had taken him for the Bijuu. I wound up fighting their puppeteer, Sasori of the Red Sand. I got in the way…"
Sasuke knew a wound like that would have caused massive hemorrhaging, internal damage and death within a matter of minutes. It was a miracle she had survived. But he wasn't going to force her to relive more of what had surely been a difficult and painful battle.
He didn't know what to say. So instead of words, he held her while she cried out her fears and hurts, let her weep uninhibited.
"Come on. They'll be getting worried." Sasuke finally said when she was done, offering her a hand.
"Alright." She sighed, taking his hand and pulling herself up.
It was the beginning….
TBC