Title: Dirty Little Secret
Chapter Title: Mistaken Future
Author: Backlash Symphony
Music: "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson
"The Lie" by Matthew West
"Ohio" by Bowling for Soup
"Take me Away" by 4 Strings
"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne
"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz
Summary: It started out as a deal he made with her, a deal he knew she'd never say no to when Sasuke's life belonged to him. It was the perfect secret. No one knew. Not even Sasuke. Sakura never would've thought it'd end up like this.
Disclaimer: I don't own "Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson, "The Lie" by Matthew West, "Ohio" by Bowling for Soup, "Take me Away" by 4 Strings, "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz, and I most definitely don't own Naruto, either. If I did, Sakura would be the flame to the moths known as Kakashi, Itachi, and Orochimaru. Hell, add Kabuto in there! He's a cutie!
WARNING: There is a very small amount of non-con in this chapter, but nothing more than kissing.
Special Thanks: To everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it so much! A big thanks to:
Lady Jaja
camille Bianca
animeaddict99
Elena Unduli
Senyor Fier Mensheir
Rhonda21
Luv's-lyric
Rinnah15
Rogue Riley 666
ghettofabgurl89
-Sapphire-Onyx-
xLycia
Dark x Sorrow
sting-like-a-bee
Marsgoddess1
Nicola
Saikio
Demon King Piccolo
REVIEW RESPONSES:
Lady Jaja: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
camille Bianca: Tragic, yes, how tragic? Depends on how far you read.
animeaddict99: Thank you!
Elena Unduli: You'll see just keep reading! Thank you! It took a bit to plan those parts out. The kid scene was a fun part to write because I had the opportunity to have Orochimaru holding a kid.
Senyor Fier Mensheir: Yep! I know how to speak Spanish!
Rhonda21: Yes, from this point on, it's all action!
Luv's-lyric: Thank you! It took a bit of work but it worked out, apparently!
Rinnah15: Your first? Really? Well thank you!
ghettofabgurl89: Thank you!
-Sapphire-Onyx-: Yep! Thank you! I had the opportunity to have the kid scene and I went for it! I thought it was cute…
xLycia: I thought the same until I started writing about it. I try to make all the pairings I use work so I'm glad you liked it!
Dark x Sorrow: Thanks and you'll see.
sting-like-a-bee: Thank you!
Marsgoddess1: Thanks! It took some work but I pulled it off. Read on!
Nicola: Heh, Orochimaru is the best! I hate Sakura portrayed as someone weak because she has so much potential so I wanted her to be stronger. She just needed a boost, in my opinion.
Saikio: I'm glad you like the rarer pairings! I'm glad you love Oro/Saku! Have you tried Kisame/Sakura? I'm writing a one-shot for that pairing that I hope to be posting sometime soon.
Demon King Piccolo: Thank you very much!
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
:Flashback:
Timeframe: The Next Morning
The door to Tsuande's office opened. Frustrated, the honey-eyed woman lifted her head to glare at Shizune who threw an apologetic look towards Tsunade.
"Tsunade, there's someone here to see you," she said timidly.
Tsunade gave a harsh sigh and glared harder at Shizune.
"I told you I'm not talking to anyone unless they have information on Sakura so tell whoever it is-"
"He saw her on his mission to Mist, Tsunade," Shizune pressed, somewhat agitated herself.
"He what? Who's he? Send him in," Tsunade said quickly.
The door opened wider and a young man walked in.
"Tsuyoshi! You saw Haruno Sakura on your mission to Mist two days ago?" Tsunade asked sternly.
The man nodded.
"Yes, Lady Hokage. I saw her trying on dresses in a dress-shop on my way back from the drop-off point. Quite expensive, might I add," he began.
"And what did you do?"
"I walked inside and asked her why she was there but she brushed it off as a secret confidential mission that would get her in trouble if I mentioned to you that I saw her," he explained, voice dropping at the end and pausing as if wanting to say something.
Tsunade nodded her head as if telling him to continue.
"She said it was a mission given to her directly by you."
Tsunade interlocked her fingers beneath her chin, gazing at the floor.
"And you said that this was in Mist?" she clarified softly.
"Yes, ma'am."
Tsunade remained silent for many moments, her eyes closing.
"Thank you. You are dismissed."
Tsuyoshi nodded and turned to leave. When she heard the door closed she heard Shizune say something to her in a concerned voice, but the words didn't make sense in her mind. The only thing she could think about was the fact that not only did Sakura lie to her so she could leave the village, but she had a hefty amount of evidence to prove that not only had she left to be with Orochimaru but she had seen him multiple times since her 18th birthday and had known that these meetings would happen since she was 16. She just didn't understand how Sakura, the most intelligent kunoichi in the village, would go to Orochimaru, and even if it was for Sasuke, according to Ino she had fallen out of love with him and found someone new.
Found someone new.
Orochimaru!
Tsunade's eyes snapped open and she abruptly rose from her chair, slamming her hand down on the table.
"Shizune!"
The medic before her straightened her back, releasing her hold on TonTon.
"You are to gather Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, Shiranui Genma, and Hatake Kakashi and bring them to my office immediately!"
"Right away!"
Shizune was gone in a flash to release the bird to call upon the elites mentioned. Tsunade sunk into her seat, too distressed to even reach for a new bottle of sake.
"Sakura couldn't possibly have dropped her feelings for Sasuke because she fell in love with Orochimaru..."
The only thing she could do right now is send a squad out to retrieve Sakura and interrogate her when she was brought back. She forced herself back up and tried to do her work but that constant thought kept coming up again and again.
Found someone new...
Sakura's eyes opened to reveal pale muscled flesh to her emerald colored eyes. She gave a half smile and snuggled further into Orochimaru's chest, exhaling contentedly onto it as her arms tightened around his torso. Her eyes closed and she allowed the activities of last night to replay in her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that last night had been the best sex she'd ever had with him. She chuckled softly.
'He keeps on making it better and better,' she thought, noting how Inner Sakura still seemed to be basking in the memories.
She then felt the vibrations from the chest she was happily pressed againt and knew Orochimaru was now awake and laughing. The hand on the small of her back pressed her even closer while his other hand slid behind her shoulders and onto her roseate hair, stroking it gently. She gave a soft moan and was lulled back into sleep by the sweet gesture.
Orochimaru closed his eyes as well, deep in thought. When he had talked with Kabuto two evenings before, he had told him how sick he was of being nice. Those words could've held true until later, after he and Sakura had left and headed for the bridge.
The events that occured at that bridge had completely destroyed the entire day's work, where he first began to mess up his plan. The idea was to get her to remember what happened on that bridge. He wanted her to feel the pain she felt that day six years ago when her heart shattered for the first time when she thought Sasuke, the great Sasuke Uchiha, had fallen dead, and she was too late to save him. He had intended to make her feel that pain once again with the only thought of adding more weight to the incredibly sensitive subject, enough weight to force her to finally break down and cry.
He wanted to see those tears streaming down her face so he would know he had finally won an incredibly significant part of this battle. He wanted to see her body shake like it did when he brought her so close to her release, so close she screamed his name as if it would comfort her. He wanted to see those perfect legs of hers collapse from beaneath her, be brought close to her chest as she lie sobbing and broken on the bridge floor. He wanted to watch her break knowing it would bring him more pleasure than manipulating her body to meet with his in bed, against the kitchen wall, those wonderful places where her could force her to do anything with her body to his body, make her feel so good she'd beg him never to let it end but wish it would because her inexperienced body couldn't handle it.
But he messed up.
He suddenly felt pained. He couldn't stand to watch her cry over some spoiled brat whose only use to him was his Sharingan that he could have surgically removed if he felt like it. He wanted her to suffer, but to suffer because of Sasuke he refused to let happen. He wanted her to break by his terms, and he immediately booted Sasuke from this part of the plan. He didn't understand why he said those words to her, why he brought her close. He didn't understand why he felt the need to press his lips to hers in a manner so gentle he never thought he was actually kissing her. He knew she was addictive but to be this sensitive was completely against everything he believed in. Better yet, it was impossible for him to act like that.
:"Everyone has goals, Sakura, and it seems that along the way, you've become one of them.":
Yet he found himself drawing her even closer. He needed her to know she could survive without Sasuke. Her first kiss had been taken from her by him purely with the intention of teaching her that Sasuke could never compare to him and that her heart may belong to Sasuke, but her body would always belong to him. Yet the way he was kissing her now should have been the way she experienced her first kiss. It should have been rough, dominating, but he could only force himself to be tender and gentle with her.
In a way it really was her first kiss. In a way he had honestly broken her, finally broken her. But he had mended her and he had to pay the consequences.
He had messed up once again when he miscalculated the amount of time he would have before he'd need another dose of Kabuto's near useless medicine to keep his arms intact until today. He ended up with the skin on his arms shedding off in layers. The hot water stung his damaged arms and the blood began to flow. He had figured she wouldn't notice but had forgotten for the moment that she wasn't Tsunade's apprentice for her waist size. She was of equal status medicine-wise with Tsunade, but her control and mental designs in her procedures were different and more effective. If given the right push, she could develop something extraordinary that would make Konoha nearly indestructible. Of course she would notice the smell of blood spreading throughout the room.
Then she had finally done it. She had performed the act he had wanted from her at the bridge. She had cried. What had put him in even more pain wasn't the fact that she was crying, but the fact that she was crying for him. She had let those beautiful crystalline tears spill from those dazzling jade eyes for him. That had hurt more than anything and he didn't know why. Then she stepped into the shower with him, not caring that the clothes she had on would be drenched. She held him and healed him and he had become incredibly angry with her.
Why?
He didn't know.
It might have been because he hadn't wanted her to know. He should've realized before that she was bound to notice he wasn't healed. It may have been because she was so damn innocent that she should have known not to agree to the deal back then. And then he realized the most probable reason for his anger was because he didn't want her to fall in love with him. She had no right to shed tears for him. She was falling for him, and not only was she believing in him as well, but she was dragging him down into something he didn't have any knowledge of.
He knew how to manipulate people based on their emotions, to use them and then toss them aside, like he had with Anko, but he didn't know how to respond to such a grand emotion that was being given to him without a second thought. Loyalty, he understood, but the fact that he was helping someone cope with the loss of their loved one? Giving out support to someone who was hanging by a half cut thread on the edge of being broken? Absorbing the more than physical attraction of an incredibly innocent, sexy, and naive girl? No, woman?
What was wrong with him? He had created this plan with every intention of breaking such a fascinating creature as Sakura before persuading her to assist him in the destruction of Konoha, and here he was, unraveling his incredibly time-consuming plans thread by thread, helping her get stronger mentally, providing a source to vent her frustration, cuddling with her for God's sake! This plan that he had spent six years creating with an additional two years of waiting and finishing the final details of was taking a turn he had not counted on, a turn that was slowly, but surely, dragging him in.
This was not what he wanted and yet this was what he was getting for all of his hard work. One emotionally unstable, though slowly becoming stable thanks to him, pink-haired woman by his side and eight years of hard work down the drain. What the hell was he doing? He was wasting all of his time with her.
He sighed mentally. At least some of it was going right. He estimated that right about now Tsunade would have a team formed and ready for travel to find Sakura. He gave a small grin. He couldn't believe Sakura had actually thought he wouldn't find out about her visitor at the dress shop from Yuni. From what he figured the three ninjas that had fought his followers would have been sent to the hospital. Oh well. The less ninjas that he had to fight when the time came around, the easier it would be for him.
"You have all been called here because we have received the most recent location of Haruno Sakura," Tsunade began, slowly pacing behind her desk, eyes downcast.
Asuma, Kurenai, Genma, Kakashi, and Shizune stood in a line before her, each dressed in traveling clothes with small packs at their feet.
"I do not know if she will still be there which is why you are to move as quickly as possible and only rest if necessary," Tsunade continued.
The group nodded.
"Your mission is to travel to the Hidden Mist Village and set up in the first inn you see in the event that Sakura attempts to escape upon noticing your arrival. She may be in the process of leaving the village to head back here knowing the time frame of Ino's last mission. If you see her, split up and send two of you, preferably you two, Asuma and Shizune, to capture her. Orochimaru will most likely be with her so I want three of you hidden. It won't do very good considering he is of a higher power than all of you and he will notice you quickly after being discovered but it's worth a shot in the event he also tries to escape," she explained.
"And if he wishes to engage us in battle?" Kakashi questioned.
"Then you get Sakura and get out of there. I doubt he will try anything with Sakura watching but he might leave her to fend for herself. Be careful and make sure you bring her back alive. Understood?"
Five responses of, "Yes, Lady Hokage," filled the room and she nodded her dismissal. The five elites fled the room and headed for the gate, already heading at break-neck speed to Mist. Asuma took the lead with Kurenai behind him. Shizune moved behind Kurenai with Kakashi following Shizune. Genma held the end of the line.
Sakura looked at Orochimaru out of the corner of her eye. He was walking so close to her that their shoulders brushed. What her hand kept bumping into was his and right now she wanted to wrap her hand around his. She wanted their fingers together or even to have his arm draped around her shoulders, her waist, something to support their fiancé facade. She kept telling herself to just go for, just slide her hand into his and lock their fingers together, make them look like a real couple.
She was afraid. What if he pulled his hand away? What if he pulled his whole body away? Or yelled at her?
'Just do it and find out!' Inner Sakura screamed, sick of hearing the thoughts bouncing back and forth.
Sakura exhaled and hesitantly reached her hand closer to his, and within a few seconds she touched the skin. She withdrew instantly but reached over and tried again, this time successfully holding his hand. Her heart beat fast and pounded in her chest as she prayed he wouldn't move his hand. Then his fingers did move, but rather than pull away, he tightened his hand around hers. Her fingers spread out and he slid his fingers through hers. Her heart nearly stopped and a gentle blush spread across her cheeks. Her lips tugged into a smile but she still couldn't bring herself to look at his face.
It somehow still felt as though it was a dream, that Orochimaru would never really interlock his fingers with hers.
'Well, I guess there are such things as small miracles!' she thought giddily.
"Oh! You two are so cute together!" a voice from Orochimaru's right said adoringly.
The two turned their heads to see who it was, stopping in the process. They saw a woman who seemed to be in her mid thirties with a camera around her neck holding her hands together at her chest. Her eyes were bright, very bright, and blue. Those eyes would give Naruto a run for his money.
"Er, thank you," Sakura said, the blush on her cheeks darkening.
Orochimaru saw this and chuckled softly, his hand giving hers a small squeeze.
"Would you like to have some pictures taken, Sakura?" he asked, looking down at her embarrassed expression.
She turned to look at him, eyes pumping out shock at his question. Her whole expression screamed, "Really!" He nodded his head and gave her hand a tug. The two walked over to the lady and Orochimaru released Sakura's hand, draping his arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer into him. The woman nearly squealed at the action.
"How much for a picture?" he asked.
The woman shook her head.
"For such a cute couple like you two, six pictures for free!" she said joyously.
Sakura's smile brightened and Orochimaru allowed a smile, not a smirk, a smile, to grace his lips.
Sakura nearly melted at the sight.
"Alright, come right in and we'll pick a good background for you! Come, come!" the woman ushered the two into the building she stood in front of and Orochimaru dropped his hand down to Sakura's back, holding her close still at they followed the woman into a small room.
Sakura looked at the walls, each side a different color. She saw cameras on stands in the center of the room but in the very back of the room, what she saw made her gasp. There, painted on a large screen, was the most realistic painted ocean she had ever laid eyes on. She let out a small gasp as she saw the screen behind it which held an incredibly detailed beach.
"Did you paint all of these?" she asked in awe.
She woman nodded as she set up a camera facing the direction of the screens.
"Go back there and take a look at which ones you want. Take your time!" she said cheerfully.
Sakura nodded and she and Orochimaru headed back towards the screens. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the one with a cherry blossom tree on it. He knew it would be perfect for her. He tapped her back and the pointed to the screen. He saw her roll her eyes and smile.
"Alright, but is it alright for you?" she asked somewhat skeptically.
He nodded.
"We chose the one with the cherry blossom tree on it," Sakura said.
The woman nodded and came over to set everything up. Within five minutes Orochimaru and Sakura were in their first pose in front of the screen.
Sakura had her hip pressed against Orochimaru's with one arm behind his neck and the other with her hand resting over his chest. His one arm rested around her waist while the other rested over her hand on his chest.
The next photo had Sakura laughing as Orochimaru picked her up and held her bridal style. She was smiling when the picture was taken, as was Orochimaru.
Their third picture was also of Sakura being held bridal style, but with their lips pressed together.
The fourth picture had Sakura standing, pressed against Orochimaru's chest with his arms around her stomach and his head on top of Sakura's head.
The fifth picture also had Sakura laughing at the expression on Orochimaru's face when the woman suggested he pretend to give her a piggy-back ride. When the picture was taken, Sakura had a light blush across her cheeks and she was looking off to the side. Orochimaru had a grumpy expression on with the exception of the small quirk of his lips as he, too, looked off to the side.
Their final pose was Orochimaru pressing Sakura to him with her hands on his chest. Their lips were once again joined, but the 'love' in this kiss was shown.
Sakura pocketed the pictures and the two headed off to find a place for lunch. On the way, Sakura's hand met with Orochimaru's and the two laced fingers once again.
"I can't believe you chose a cherry blossom tree," Sakura said softly.
"And why is that?"
"I would've figured you of all people would have guessed it by now," she said.
"Guessed? Guessed what?" he asked curiously.
"I hate cherry blossoms and cherry blossom trees."
He gave a short chuckle.
"You do now, do you? Why?"
"I hate being named after such a weak, fragile thing," she explained. "I may be weaker than a lot of people but I'm not the weakest. I know how to hold my own and I can punch pretty damn hard."
Orochimaru's brows furrowed and he turned his head to look at the disgruntled girl beside him. A small voice inside of his head began yelling at him to agree with her, to rub it in her face, but he knew that she was getting it all wrong.
"You're not quite getting it on the dot, Sakura," he corrected.
"Oh?" she said incredulously. "Pray tell, what're your thoughts on cherry blossom trees?"
"Cherry blossom trees aren't just composed of cherry blossoms. There's still the trunk that you're disregarding," he began. "The blossoms are fragile, yes, but they are also beautiful. Though they fall off of the trees when it gets too windy or the weather gets too cold, the trunk and branches remain strong through bad weather, snow and rain, and even lightening. The blossoms represent the changes one goes through. With every new round of blossoms, the tree grows stronger and shows that it has won to gain another year despite its seemingly helpless mask of fragile cherry blossoms," he explained.
Sakura hung onto every word and burned the entire speech into her brain. Inner Sakura was busy marking down something on a sheet of paper.
'Hot body. Check. Passionate kisser. Check. Sex god. Check. Genius. Check. Sensitive. Check. Unpredictable. Check. Protective. Check. Available. Double check.' Inner Sakura scanned over the list before grinning. 'We have found Mr. Right!' Inner Sakura screeched, jumping up and down and flailing her arms in the air.
Sakura grinned at her thoughts and giggled.
"Thanks. You made a good point," she said happily.
Orochimaru smirked.
"Glad to hear it, blossom."
Sakura groaned.
"Orochimaru!" she whined. "It still doesn't change the fact that I don't like being called that!"
Beneath the whine Orochimaru could see a smile forming, and suddenly, he felt happy. He felt happy because his plans were going perfectly.
Timeframe: The Next Day (Three PM)
Sakura stretched once again and yawned for what could have been the hundredth time that afternoon.
She was bored beyond relief, having already gone into town that morning and purchased two lengthy books, each over five hundred pages, in the hopes that she would be entertained for the rest of the day. However, five and a half hours later, the clock had hit one fifteen and she had completed the second book. She had spent the rest of the time pacing the room and staring out of the window. She had taken a relaxing bath and amused herself with the memories of her trip to Mist so far.
Apart from that, she'd been having terrible stomach pains all day. She had groaned this morning, hating that of all the random times of the year she would get her period, it just had to be when she was enjoying herself the most. She figured she had until tomorrow before she would have the need for a tampon since the blood usually came within one to two days after the pain for her.
Now, once again, she was bored. This was the one time she wished she had Ino around to talk to. She couldn't wait to get home so she could find a good place to hide those pictures. Until then, she would go as far as to sleep with them tucked into her shirt. She would bathe with them sitting on top of the closed toilet seat. She refused to lose them or forget where she put them. They were her only hard evidence that what she was doing, what she had done, was real. That, and she had never seen Orochimaru smile before. With him it was always that smirk.
She gave a heavy sigh before deciding she would go out again. She moved to her bag to retrieve some clothes and changed into them, folding Orochimaru's shirt and her favorite boxers and placing them on the bed. Within a few minutes she was ready to go in a pair of jeans and a black tank top. She found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote out a short note to Orochimaru explaining that she would be going to the day spa he had shown her and that she would be back at five. With that she was on her way out the door.
She headed down the winding stairs and froze once she came to the third step from the bottom. Her eyes widened as she saw who was standing at the desk, a senbon needle moving from between his lips.
"Genma?" she asked, shocked.
The brown haired man stopped speaking and turned his head to see Sakura.
"My blossom!" he cried melodramatically, opening his arms out to her.
A smile lit up Sakura's face and she hopped over the three steps and ran at Genma, leaping into his arms. His arms closed around her, hugging her close.
"It's so good to see you again!" she cried out, watching for his needle so she wouldn't get poked with it.
Genma let her down and she took three steps back, smiling still.
"How many more days till you're back in Konoha?" she asked.
He shrugged.
"I'm taking my time so I'd say about three or four days," he said casually.
"Well then, I'll be seeing you then!" and Sakura headed for the exit.
Genma pouted.
"But I just saw you!" he whined.
"I've got an appointment with a client! I can't miss it!" she explained hurriedly. "See ya later, Genma!"
Sakura was out the door in less than a second and was racing to the day spa, thoughts going a million miles a second. The lady at the desk shook her head at Genma as he turned around.
"You'd do best to keep your distance from her and be careful when it comes to physical contact. Her fiancé may not like her that close to another man," she explained, reaching behind her for a key and then handing it to Genma.
Genma's face contorted in confusion.
"Fiancé? She's engaged?" he inquired.
She lady at the desk smiled happily and nodded.
"Oh, yes, to a very lovely young man. Ryo Takahashi. It's a beautiful thing that kids so young found love. I do hope the two live happily together after the wedding. It'd be a shame to waste such youth and destroy such a beautiful girl's heart."
Genma's expression became grim for a second before he forced a happy expression back onto his face.
"Yes, indeed!"
Genma took the key and headed up to the room he and the others would be staying in. The information he had received matched up with the data he already had.
'So, Sakura, you really have betrayed us...'
Sakura jogged through the streets, heading straight for the day spa. She needed to find Yuni and she needed to tell her everything. Yuni had predicted everything correctly. Yuni knew everything when it came to Orochimaru, and right now she needed to explain the events that happened and she needed to get Yuni to tell her where Orochimaru was. It wasn't a coincidence that Genma ended up in Mist. Tsuyoshi had to have told Tsunade he ran into her and she must have sent Genma and some others to bring her back.
The problem with that was if Genma was here, that meant other elites were here as well, and Tsunade knew well enough that someone who knew Sakura on a more personal level could get her to cooperate, which meant Kakashi had to be included. In other words, she didn't stand a chance in a fight with all of them and if she ran from Mist, not only would capturing her become easier to do without civilians around to interfere, but she nowhere to go. She needed to find Orochimaru!
She made a sharp turn into the building and spotted Yuni immediately at one of the desks in front of her.
"Yuni!" she cried, rushing to the desk.
Yuni looked up and her eyes widened upon the expression Sakura wore. She was breathing hard and fear had bled its way into her eyes, fear and desperation.
"Sakura! Oh my God, are you alright? What happened?" Yuni asked, immediately concerned.
"Where's Orochimaru! It's an absolute emergency and I need to see him! Please, Yuni, tell me where he is!" Sakura pleaded urgently.
Yuni seemed shocked for a moment before she walked around the desk and grabbed Sakura's wrist, dragging her into another section of the building. The two hurried down the hall and took a right before seeing three doors. Yuni led Sakura into the one farthest to the right and locked the door behind her. She flipped the light switch on and the room lit up only to reveal to Sakura that it was a bathroom.
"Why are we in a bathroom?" Sakura groaned, obviously frustrated.
Yuni walked over to the wall where, funny enough, a phone was situated. She pulled the receiver from the hook and dialed a number into the number pad. She leaned against the wall as the phone rang, eyes closed, completely relaxed, while Sakura was pacing and making incredibly sharp turns. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Sakura, someone answered the phone.
"Kabuto-sensei, where's Orochimaru?" she asked calmly into the phone.
Sakura strained her ears to hear but was caught on what Yuni called Kabuto.
"Kabuto-sensei?" she repeated in disbelief. "Kabuto? A sensei? Now I know I've heard it all..."
"-mergency. Where is he?" Yuni seemed somewhat frustrated.
Sakura watched Yuni when she suddenly noticed an incredibly dark blush cover her cheeks.
"S-Sensei!" she cried, eyes flashing open.
Sakura heard a dark chuckle from the phone and could've sworn she heard "make" and something and then "scream" but that was it. It didn't take a genius to figure out what made her blush so hard and the implications of that statement. Sakura's eyes widened and her cheeks turned red as well. Yuni sent an apologetic glance Sakura's way and Sakura shook her head to tell her it was alright.
"Half an hour. I got it. Thank you sensei."
With that Yuni hung up the phone. She let out a sigh and her lips curved into a smile.
"Sensei means well but sometimes he, well," she gave a smile, "you understand," she explained.
Sakura nodded her head when suddenly her stomach started cramping painfully again, causing the pink haired girl to double over and gasp from the intensity. This alarmed Yuni who was at her side in an instant, supporting her by the shoulders.
"Sakura! What happened?"
Sakura shook her head as the pain subsided.
"I'm fine. It's just cramps. My period is coming up either tomorrow or the day after. Don't worry about it," Sakura reassured the girl.
Yuni looked skeptical.
"I don't know what kind of cramps you have, but it really shouldn't hurt that much. Are you...sure it isn't because you might be...you know..."
Sakura looked confused for a moment but Yuni finally clarified, though in a meek voice.
"Pregnant..."
Sakura's eyes widened.
"No! Of course I'm not pregnant!" she exclaimed defensively.
Yuni looked at her strangely.
"When was the last time you had sex?" she asked.
Sakura blushed and tried to look away but she couldn't force herself to.
"Two nights ago..." she replied softly.
Yuni nodded and shoved a hand into her pocket, digging around for something.
"And have you bothered to check to see if you were pregnant since your first time with Orochimaru?" she queried.
Sakura shook her head, scrunching her nose up.
"No! I'm telling you, I'm not pregnant!" she said defensively, once again.
Yuni made a small sound and pulled her hand from her pocket revealing a pregnancy test in its original wrapper, untouched. Sakura literally jumped in the air and stumbled back a few feet.
"Why would you- why do you- where did you- What the hell are you taking that out for!" Sakura screeched.
Yuni raised a brow and took a step forward, arm stretched out.
"I have to go back to report to Kabuto-sensei tonight. You heard him on the phone. Besides, I'm not one to really trust condoms so I always keep a few extras with me, though he can always check when we're finished," she explained like she was talking about the weather. "And you said it yourself, you haven't checked once since you've started having sex with Orochimaru. It wouldn't hurt just to make sure you aren't, would it?"
Sakura didn't budge from the wall, eyes still wide. She couldn't be pregnant, she knew that, but now that she thought about it, she hadn't taken any of Tsunade's pregnancy prevention potion and she hadn't used a condom. There was a possibility, but the symptoms wouldn't show up that quickly, would they? Of course not. She couldn't be pregnant. A part of her was telling her that she should check anyway. She didn't want to but she couldn't stop her hand from moving to take the offered test from Yuni's hand.
Yuni smiled and turned to the door, unlocking it.
"I'll be right outside the door. Call me when you're done."
With that Yuni left the bathroom and Sakura quickly locked it once she was gone. She knew what to do since she had helped Ino with it Ino's first time. She sighed and opened the wrapper. She sighed as she performed the rest of the tasks that needed to be done in order to give her the final result. With a flush of the toilet she set the test on the space next to the faucet where she washed her hands before heading to the door to unlock it.
Yuni took that as the sign to come back in and came through the door, locking it behind her. She leaned against the door and the two women stared at one another. Sakura reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out the six photos she had taken with Orochimaru, holding them out to Yuni. She took them and her face lit up with a smile as she looked at the first picture. Her smile grew wider as she flipped through all six photos and she looked up at Sakura with what seemed to be a grateful expression before handing the pictures back.
Sakura smiled as she placed the photos back into her pocket. Silence ensued but the words that came with the looks given to one another were good enough.
"You were right, Yuni," Sakura said, rubbing the back of her foot with the front of her other foot. "I guess I'm falling in love with him."
"It's hard not to, Sakura. You're not fighting it for the sake of your village anymore, but rather if he'll love you back or not. Right?"
Sakura nodded but her expression became troubled.
"Tsunade, the Hokage, discovered I was here and sent a team to bring me back. It turns out they're staying at the inn Orochimaru and I are staying in. I'm really worried because I don't want Orochimaru fighting. I healed the skin on his arms as best as I could but I don't know how long it'll be able to withstand chakra before it disintegrates."
Yuni tilted her head. Sakura seemed extremely worried about Orochimaru but she could still see the doubt in her jade eyes. Sakura really was more attentive than she thought. She seemed to be picking up the similarities to her fantasies as well as the lies behind the comfort, although she was taking the comfort regardless of the lies that fueled it.
"Check it. Time's up," Yuni said softly, looking at Sakura's reflection in the mirror behind her.
Sakura hesitantly turned to face the mirror before reaching a suddenly shaky hand down to the pregnancy test. She lifted it up so she could view it and her pupils dilated. Her hands loosened their grip on the plastic and Yuni saw Sakura's expression in the mirror. She barely made it in time to catch Sakura as her knees collapsed and she dropped the test into the sink. Sakura's head shook from side to side as she brought her knees up to her chest. Her body began to shake as tears filled up her eyes.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, n-no, no-o, n-n-o-o..." she sobbed.
Yuni held the shaking girl in her arms and gently rocked her from side to side, humming softly in her ear to calm her down.
'Well Orochimaru, you wanted her broken, so here it is. I just hope you can cope with such a giant change in the plans.'
Twenty minutes later and Sakura was slowly making her way back to the inn. She wiped away her tears for the millionth time as she walked through the door. The lady at the desk was gone once again and Sakura crawled her way up the stairs. She couldn't force her legs to support her weight any longer and she collapsed once again at the door, sliding down the wall. The tears built up too quickly and cascaded down her now incredibly pale face. Her sobs echoed in the hallway and not even a minute later, Orochimaru came up the steps only to find what he had desired so badly at the foot of the door.
A broken Haruno Sakura.
"Fiancé!" Shizune and Asuma hissed. "Why would she use that excuse when she's capable of coming up with better ones!" Shizune added.
Kakashi kept his gaze on the floor as he sat on the bed, hand under his chin. His visible eye was open. So far he hadn't said a word until now.
"She didn't come up with that on her own. He made the reservations under his alias, Ryo Takahashi, and he used the transformation technique to change his appearance," Kakashi said calmly.
"What if she really is his fiancé? She really could be getting married to him," Genma said, voice showing he was convinced.
Shizune shook her head in disagreement.
"Sakura wouldn't do that, Genma!" she growled, fists clenched.
Kakashi sighed.
"We have to assume that Sakura is capable of doing anything," Kakashi said. "According to the facts-"
"According to the facts she's being manipulated, Kakashi!" Shizune protested angrily.
"Sakura wasn't about to betray Konoha for Sasuke so what makes you think she'd do it for Orochimaru!" Asuma added, frustrated.
"They have a point, Kakashi," Kurenai agreed, arms crossed.
"Enough!" Kakashi declared, shutting everyone up immediately. "According to the facts, Sakura made a deal with Orochimaru when she was 16 for the sake of Sasuke, what we can only assume meant bringing him back earlier. At 18, she gave up her virginity for purposes still unknown, but still presumably linked to Sasuke's return. Instead of closing the deal on her birthday, Orochimaru paid more visits to her during which we don't know what actually happened, only that the day after each new visit Sakura sought out Ino for advice on sex and men. He's obviously had something planned out since he knew Ino, Shikamaru, and Hinata had a mission. He sent some of his subordinates to deal with them so they would return, ruining Sakura's plans of returning at the same time," Kakashi recapped.
"So basically he wanted her to be found out," Kurenai clarified.
Kakashi nodded.
"He's got something planned, something more than just the loss of her virginity for Sasuke's return. He wants something else from her..."
"Wait a minute, Kakashi," Genma said suddenly. "Sakura's medical skills are equal to, if not better than, Tsunade's, and we all know that Sakura thinks more out-of-the-box than Tsunade, right? She uses everything she sees to heal a patient when she can't do it with her chakra, right?" he questioned hurriedly.
The other people in the room nodded and Kakashi's eye snapped open.
"He wants her to heal him so he's making her fall in love with him so she'll betray Konoha, in effect making her a missing-nin with no place to hide but with him. He can easily persuade her to do some research and heal his arms once she's there. That means that with his arms healed..." Kakashi's thoughts became clear.
"He'll come back to destroy Konoha," Asuma finished.
"But he'll also have Sakura with him, fighting for him. Orochimaru is tough enough for Tsunade but if you add Sakura in the mix, she could not only defeat Tsunade, even without Orochimaru, but teamed with either him or Kabuto or even Sasuke, she could kill a dozen people in less than two seconds," Kakashi added, tone holding a deadly hint beneath it.
"We need to get her before it's too late," Shizune said fearfully.
It was then that the group heard a set of familiar sobs and they stopped talking, becoming completely silent.
"Is that...Sakura?" Asuma whispered.
Kakashi, Shizune, and Genma nodded and continued to listen.
"Sakura?" Orochimaru asked, slightly confused. "Sakura, what happened?"
She shook her head, opening and closing her mouth as she searched for the right words. What was she supposed to say? I'm in tears because Tsunade found out that I lied to her? I'm in tears because she found out I was with you? I'm in tears because I'm pregnant with your child? I'm in tears because I'm in love with you? What was she supposed to say? She didn't know. She was afraid to mention anything she had discovered that day. Apart from that, she knew Genma and the rest of the retrieval unit were somewhere on that floor and could hear her words easily enough.
"R-Room! Now! Oh, God, Orochimaru I need you now! Please!" she sobbed, hoping Orochimaru would see through the lie and get her into the room so they could talk.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smirk and he knelt down on one knee to pick her up. He pinned her to the wall and brought his lips to her ear.
"They're here, right?" he whispered, gently sucking on a spot of skin beneath her ear that caused her to gasp and arch against his body.
"Y-Yes!" she replied, covering the answer up by saying it as a moan.
"Looks like we're going to need to take care of this problem of yours," he said with a chuckle. "The wall seems ideal right now but we've already claimed one wall in your house. We've taken care of the shower here so I don't see why the bed wouldn't be a bad place. I'm sure your back will need something soft to arch against, after all."
Sakura shot him a pained tear-filled glare as he unlocked the door to their room, bringing her in with him before closing the door and locking it once again. His expression became a bit more serious but still held the smug look he usually had. He walked over to the bed, leaning against the post. His hands performed some seals that Sakura recognized as the ones used for genjutsu. Her sobs slowed but were still impossible to stop.
"Yuni explained to me that the Konoha shinobi arrived to take you back," he said carefully. "I know for a fact that you wouldn't get so worked up over something as pitiful as that. What are you hiding from me?"
The room became silent minus the exception of Sakura's crying. Her mouth opened once again but she couldn't find the words to say. She was too scared of what his reaction might be. She didn't think she could handle it if he walked out on her. That would mean not only was he leaving her to deal with the child, but also having to find a way to explain herself to the team that would take her back to Konoha and Tsunade. She didn't know how to put it, she really didn't, but the first thing that forced its way to the top of her mind was what came out of her mouth.
"You're a father," she whispered, eyes squeezing shut as more tears poured out.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed at those words. His heart began to beat madly in his chest. His throat suddenly felt like sandpaper.
'She didn't just say what I thought she just said, did she?'
"What did you just say?" he asked, voice demanding but still soft.
"Y-You're a fath-th-er!" she sobbed, falling to her knees.
Orochimaru stood there, staring at the shaking and crying girl on the floor. She was the perfect picture of a broken doll, the perfect picture he had wanted. But now, now that he had seen what something like this would do to her, he wanted nothing to do with being the cause of it. A father? Him? Some father he would be! Some role model he would be! Sure, he looked cute holding Naori in his arms but he didn't enjoy it. He was only doing it because the girl wouldn't let go of him. And now he had to deal with a pregnant Sakura when Kabuto had assured him that the jutsu would prevent anything like this from happening.
"Sakura," he said calmly, walking the few steps over to her body, watching her tense as the feeling of fear permeated the room.
He crouched down and brought a hand out to stroke the top of her head affectionately, though on the inside his fingers were burning at the sweet contact. She lifted her head up to see him and he couldn't help but present her with his trademark smirk and a chuckle to go with it. He reached over with his other hand and wiped away her tears, watching as her eyes widened and confusion and relief fought for dominance in her eyes.
"Get changed for bed. I know it's early but you need all the rest you can get. I'll be in the bathroom but I'll be back out to join you," he said with a sigh.
Sakura stared at him as he got up and headed for the window, drawing the curtains before turning to go to the bathroom. Sakura stared at the door as it shut and then replayed the last thirty seconds in her head.
'He's...not mad?'
Sakura gave a relieved smile and hastily wiped away her tears, shakily standing on her feet and heading for the edge of the bed, quickly emptied her pocket of the pictures before inserting them into a hidden pocket in her folded boxers. She stripped from her out clothes, keeping her bra and panties on, before sliding into her black boxers and Orochimaru's navy blue shirt. She lifted the material of the shirt to her nose and inhaled deeply, loving the fact that she was wearing something that smelled like him. It soothed her, his scent of apple blossoms with a faint hint of fresh grass, and to know that he wasn't mad at her gave her the most relief she'd ever felt in her life.
She lost herself in the smell when Orochimaru's hands closed over her shoulders.
"Looks good on you," he murmured in her ear. "Now get into bed."
Sakura nodded softly and headed for the bedside, pulling back the covers and sliding underneath them, their cool feeling soothing against her warm skin. She felt the bed dip with Orochimaru's added weight when she felt a heat settle against her back and an arm slide over her side to rest over Sakura's stomach. His hand gave it a gentle pat before whispering into her ear.
"We'll deal with it," he assured her, and Sakura felt so tired all of a sudden.
She drifted off to sleep, the last thing on her mind the fact that she had definitely fallen in love with a lie and that this baby just might be the thing that saves her from suicide. Little did she know, this baby had nearly completely destroyed every part of the plan Orochimaru had created, but with a quick adjustment in some of the final parts of his plans, this baby was the only thing holding it together.
Sakura couldn't explain it. She didn't know how to. It was as if someone was repeatedly poking her in the back of the head. It felt as if an alarm was blaring directly next to her ears, the vibrations attacking her body mercilessly. She didn't want to get up, however, and snuggled deeper within herself. But still, her senses told her to get her ass up that instant and see just what was waiting for her. She groaned softly and opened her eyes only to find that it was dark in the room.
"How long was I asleep for?" she muttered to herself.
"They could've already killed you by now, Blossom," a man's voice spoke into her ear while a very male body became pressed against her back.
Sakura's eyes shot open and she tried hard to adjust them to the darkness. Looking towards the door, she spotted a silver bush.
'Kakashi...'
A few feet to his left was a petite woman with red eyes.
'Kurenai...'
A few feet to her left she saw a large outline, broad-shouldered.
'Asuma?'
To his left was another female, hands glowing with chakra.
'Shizune...'
Turning to face Orochimaru, who was in the process of sitting up, revealed another male by the window where some moonlight was streaming through the curtains to reveal...a senbon?
'Genma...'
The room suddenly lit up and Sakura hissed, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes. Apart from that bit of emotion, Sakura didn't seem to do much. Once Orochimaru had mentioned, or hinted, that they were in the room, she had been on alert, but the Sakura everyone knew would've started to blabber and stutter and try to make up an excuse. She simply sat there, looking from one person to the next. She met eyes with Kakashi and felt Orochimaru's arms tighten, though not uncomfortably, around her stomach, resting his head on her shoulder. Kakashi's eyes narrowed and Sakura heard a growl come from Genma.
"She already healed him, Kakashi!" Shizune said in disbelief.
Sakura looked confused.
"Huh?"
Looking down, she saw Orochimaru's arms, the skin as normal as anyone else's.
'Healed him already? What are they talking about?' Sakura thought, confused.
"I didn't heal anybody. What are you accusing me of now?" Sakura asked, slightly flustered.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Sakura's abdomen and she made an attempt to double over, but Orochimaru's arms held her. Her face contorted in pain and she gave a cry, and Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Shizune all caught the impossibly rapid flash of concern in Orochimaru's golden eyes. Sakura grit her teeth and tried to relax but the pain wasn't giving any.
"Damn it! It hurts!" she groaned.
One of Orochimaru's hands pulled away to rub the back of her shoulder.
"It's throbbing! It hurts so much!"
Her breath came out in pants.
"I know it does, just take deep breaths and the pain will subside," he said calmly, fingers still smoothing over her shoulder. "Just relax. Listen to my voice."
Sakura's face softened a bit and her breathing slowed. The pain began to ebb and Sakura breathed in deeply as her body relaxed against Orochimaru. His hand slid down from her shoulder and reappeared at her stomach.
"Better?"
She nodded, face clearly relaxed and settled now.
"Was he…on her shoulder?" Kurenai pointed.
Kakashi forced himself to remain calm but knowing that Sakura might just have the Cursed Seal angered him beyond belief.
"Haruno Sakura, you are wanted for treason and are to come back to Konoha with us willingly to undergo interrogation from the Hokage," Kakashi said in a commanding voice.
Sakura rolled her eyes and gave a half snort, half laugh.
"And if I decide I don't want to go back? What will you do then, sensei?"
"If you fail to be civil we will be forced to restrain you. Don't make this hard on yourself, Sakura."
A flash of fear came over her face at the thought of fighting these people, her ex-sensei especially. She didn't know how much chakra usage it would take to Orochimaru's arms before the skin started to fall off and she didn't want him fighting her battle, either. She gave a defeated sigh, her old self coming back. It seemed that only around Orochimaru could she really be uncaring, with the exception of the forehead incident, but that was more personal than anything else.
"You're missing a button on each cuff of your shirt, Orochimaru," she said softly, leaning further back into him and interlocking the fingers of both hands over her exposed stomach. "I'm not so sure I'll have another chance to sew the buttons back on again." Her eyes slid to the side and made contact with his. "Besides," she continued, "we both know what happened last time Kabuto tried to sew..."
He seemed to understand where her thoughts were headed and she was glad he could pick up on such things. He gave her a small nod before releasing one hand from hers to hold her head in place while he planted a kiss on her lips. A gasp was heard from Shizune and her eyes widened.
"I'll be back for you," he whispered in her ear and a dreamy smile spread over her lips.
Orochimaru disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Sakura to fend for herself. She wrapped her fingers around a loose sheet and brought it around herself, holding it to her chest. She didn't look like she was going to move anytime soon, defiance blatant in her emerald eyes. She could see Kakashi losing more and more of his control by the second.
"Sakura, let's go," he commanded.
Sakura remained sitting. She wasn't moving. If she had to move he would just have to walk his ass over and drag her off the bed.
"Sakura, now."
She shook her head.
"No."
"Why did you betray us?" he asked.
"It wasn't betrayal," she corrected.
"Sakura..." Kakashi warned, "tell me."
"No."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Sakura gave a harsh laugh.
"No, of course not. I mean, it was his name I was screaming, after all."
She knew she was pushing it but this was Kakashi. He wouldn't hurt her, would he? Would he? She watched as his face remained passive but felt her gut clench when she saw his gloved hand form a fist. At that moment she jumped from the bed and pressed her back to the wall, still clutching the sheet possessively to her chest.
"Sakura, sit down," Kakashi said with a hint of impatience.
She shook her head defiantly.
"No."
"Sakura, sit down." His tone was authoritive and reminded her of their first team mission when told them to run.
Her refusal must've pissed him off to such a considerable amount because the low tone he used next practically made her flinch.
"Everyone out. Now."
The other shinobi in the room hesitated at first before hurrying out the door. One remained at the door.
"Kakashi..."
"I said out, Genma," Kakashi spoke.
He heard a sigh and the door closed. Sakura was determined not to show her fear of her ex-sensei but when he started making slow, calculated steps towards her, well, he could be intimidating when he wanted to be, and he wanted to be at that moment.
"Sakura," he began.
She continued to try and stare him down, but the moment his fingers lifted his hitai-ate, her eyes widened in fear. No way! He would not use that on her! He couldn't!
"If you don't tell me what he did to make you betray us like you did, I'm just going to have to force it out of you."
Sakura dove to the side but Kakashi was faster and he pinned her squirming body to the bed, effectively sliding a knee between her knees. The only thing protecting her from touching her body was the sheet and Orochimaru's shirt. At the rate Kakashi was going, that shirt would be ripped and she didn't want that to happen. He pinned her arms above her head and ripped the sheets away, bunching them around her waist. Realizations truck her at what he was planning to do and she thrashed wildly, tears filling her eyes as she watched Kakashi's determined gaze on her chest.
"Kakashi! No! Please don't do this," Sakura pleaded.
Her pleas were on deaf ears and she was mortified when Kakashi's fingers looped around his mask, pulling the material down and revealing what she'd been denied view to her entire time knowing Kakashi. She knew he was serious about what he was about to do for he never showed his face under any circumstances.
A good idea I never let you see my face before. It makes this so much easier for me."
Sakura watched in fascination as his formed each word, like she'd never seen someone speak before. She was amazed by the sounds his mouth made and found that his face was as flawless and smooth as she'd ever seen a male's face be. The skin seemed so feminine while the facial structure seemed so masculine. He was perfect if you want both sexes. However, when what he said suddenly clicked in her mind, her thrashing renewed and a new wave of terror washed over her as she watched his beautiful lips curl into a malicious smirk. It was an expression that she couldn't even imagine on Itachi's face when he murdered his clan.
"Where shall I start, Sakura? Hm, how about we start with the basics and work our way up?" he chuckled a bit. "Or in this case, down."
Sakura's chest constricted, forcing her to lose her plea for him to stop when his lips roughly pressed against hers. She gasped and he took the invitation to bring his tongue into her mouth, curling around hers and forcing her to respond. She tried to think and tell herself that he was a horrible kisser, an ugly man was a runny nose, anything to keep her body from responding, but it was all a lie and she couldn't stop it. She felt Kakashi smirk against her lips.
And that was when she felt the fingers beneath her shirt, resting on her stomach.
"I didn't betray you, alright! I only did it to get Sasuke back!" she cried out, hoping Kakashi would buy it.
Tears filled her eyes and she continued.
"I just wanted him back sooner! Orochimaru told me he would shorten the amount of time it took to train Sasuke if I slept with him on the night of my 18th birthday! He kept showing up after that and I thought that if I kept it up, he would continue to train Sasuke more and more so he would arrive back in Konoha sooner!"
Kakashi thought carefully about it and nodded. He focused his Sharingan eye onto one of hers.
"Go to sleep, Sakura."
The tomoes swirled and Sakura found herself falling asleep before she could even protest. Kakashi sighed and lifted her body up, heading out the door and outside.
"Let's head back to Konoha," he directed and they all began to move.
"What did you find out?" Genma queried, taking the slumbering girl from Kakashi's arms.
"She's caught in the lie that Orochimaru created as well as the lie she created to protect herself from being hurt by Orochimaru."
Genma nodded, pretending to understand what Kakashi had just told him, but more worried about what Kakashi had actually done to Sakura that made her scream the way she did.
Chapter 8 Preview
Sakura waited in the room for about an hour before the door opened again and none other than Ibiki Morino walked in, his cape flowing menacingly behind him. Sakura shot him a bored glance before noticing he held some folders in his hand. He walked silently to the table ten feet in front of Sakura and set the folders down, spreading them out. Immediately Sakura conjured an image of Orochimaru sitting in a chair next to the table, watching her. She felt more relaxed by the second.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you would run off with an S-Class criminal, on the top of the wanted list, nonetheless," Ibiki began, body turned at the side.
"Funny, I've been thinking the same thing since this whole thing started," Sakura replied calmly with an underlying amusement. "The benefits are worth it, though."
"What happened to the little pink-haired girl who loved the Uchiha brat?" he questioned with every intention of making her defend Sasuke.
Sakura merely gave a dark laugh, one that didn't match her at all.
"She died and was replaced with someone stronger when Orochimaru took the place of the Uchiha brat," Sakura explained with amusement blatant in her voice now.
:…:…:…:
"We're friends, Sakura! Friends stick together by supporting each other! No matter what you decide to do, I'll be right here, supporting you all the way!" Ino stressed, shaking Sakura by the shoulders.
"Ino?" Sakura asked, confused.
This couldn't be the same girl Sakura had known since she was little girl.
"I can't make the choice for you, but I can tell you right now that not seeing you yet knowing you're happy is, and always will be, better and more satisfying that seeing you every day looking like you're going to commit suicide!"
"But you could-"
"I've been happy, Sakura! I've found the right one for me! It's your turn to be happy now. Follow what your heart says, think about how you're going to help your heart go through with that choice."
Sakura felt that Ino had never made more sense in her life. The problem still remained that Ino and Naruto were her best friends and that by becoming a missing-nin, either one or both of them might be sent after her to kill her. that meant that she would have to attempt to kill one of them and she didn't want to do that. Yet Ino was standing there, shaking her, telling her to go to Orochimaru and be happy. She really wanted to, honestly, but Ino might change her tune when she hears about the baby.
Sakura sighed. It was either now or never, or she would find out in a way Sakura wasn't comfortable with.
"Ino..."
"Yeah forehead?"
"There's...something else you need to know..."
100 Reviews! I actually hit 100! Thank you guys SOOO much for reading this story and reviewing! I honestly never expected to get many reviews or even many readers because of this pairing being so rare! Thank you SO much!
So here's chapter 7! I finished writing up to chapter 10, including last chapter, in three days so the updating should be speeding up! I really can't wait to post chapter 8. It's going to be great! Everything's out in the open, right? Don't forget to review and tell me how I'm doing! Till later!
Backlash Symphony
