Plato's Law

Author: Mask of Mirage

Rating: T

Mood Song: Numb by Linkin Park (I know original, right?)


Chapter 7: Numb


"Look there, on the ground," a voice called from afar.

Sakura lie, motionless, on the forest floor, physically exhausted and the wound on her leg throbbing in pain. She was faintly aware of a group of people surrounding her, one even bringing water to her lips. Sakura cracked open an eye to see four animal masks staring down at her. ANBU, of course.

"We found her, she's dehydrated and has a large wound on her thigh but in stable condition," one spoke into a little mouth-piece.

"LET ME THROUGH! SAKURA-SAN," a raspy voice yelled suddenly. She knew that voice. An orange and black blur covered her, blocking the sun from her eyes, which she was grateful for.

"N-Naruto," she said weakly.

"Sakura, are you okay? What happened?"

"I just want to go home, Naruto," she said, closing her eyes.

"Okay Sakura." Naruto's voice was more hoarse than usual, causing her to believe that he hadn't slept soundly in a while. She felt herself being lifted in his arms, his familiar scent wafting up her nose. Now that she knew she was safe, she allowed herself to give in to the darkness that surrounded her. Sleep came easy.


Sakura blinked heavily as a wet rag was placed on her forehead.

"Sorry Sakura, I didn't mean to wake you," Naruto's voice said, breaking through the fog.

She noticed they were in his room, a light breeze coming in through the open window by the bed. "It's okay," she replied, sitting up, wincing as she did so at a sharp pressure in her leg. She was dressed in a pair of boxers, presumably Naruto's, and a white tank top that complimented her black bra wonderfully. Not. She frowned at him, flicking him on the temple.

"I didn't peek, I swear," he defended, his face uncharacteristically serious. Sakura threw the washrag at him, satisfied with the gratifying plop as it landed in his face.

"Now that you're awake, tell me everything that happened. You lied to the ANBU yesterday. That's not like you, Sakura," he murmured, placing a reassuring hand on her good leg.

"Well, Naruto, I haven't been acting like myself much lately. I guess I should start at the beginning." She then proceeded to tell him the whole story, Naruto hanging on to every word, occasionally adding a gasp or 'really' when needed.

"What are you going to do?" Naruto asked, genuinely concerned.

"I don't know yet but," she swallowed nervously, "I have to tell you something else and it involves you." She took his hand, lightly stroking it with her thumb.

"I don't like the way you said that," he murmured, suddenly tense.

"Naruto….your father….he's alive."

He jerked his hand away as if she had burned him. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his eyes shifty and anxious. "How…can that be possible, I mean if he was alive then why isn't he here…with me?"

"Well, that's the thing, Naruto. I'm sure he'd love to be here, to see you but you see, what he's become won't allow him to come back."

"What he's become?…what, is he like the leader of Akatsuki or something?" he scoffed. n awkward silence filled the room. Sakura kneaded the blanket nervously in her fingers. Oh, you have got to be shitting me," Naruto whispered.

He stood up, his eye twitching in random spasms and his face turning an interesting shade of purple. Maybe it was lavender? My father is the leader of Akatsuki!" he yelled.

Sakura clamped a hand over his mouth. "Keep it down; do you want everyone to know?"

He sunk to the floor, his back to the edge of the bed, and buried his head in his hands. She moved to rest her chin on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Naruto." Sakura felt so useless at that moment. She had no idea, no way, to comfort him, other than her presence itself.

"Is he nice?" the blond murmured.

Sakura smiled wryly. "He's very much like you; same goofy smile."

"Did he…ask about me?"

"He blames himself about all this. He just kept his sadness pent up behind a business-like mask when I talked about you. But I can tell he loves you a lot," she explained.

Naruto was silent for a moment before he spoke once more.

"If…you decide to go back, I'll escort you but don't ask me to face him; I can't."

"I understand," she replied, squeezing his shoulder and rising to her feet. "Come on, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving and in the mood for ramen."

Naruto smiled slightly, the light returning once more to his cerulean orbs. Hell, ramen made anyone feel better.


All of Rookie Nine were seated at the counter as Sakura and Naruto approached Ichiraku. She sighed mentally; she was really hoping the confrontation wouldn't come this soon. Nevertheless, her blond counterpart squealed in the utmost joy and ordered four bowls right off the bat.

Ino and Shikamaru moved to allow Sakura to sit, all the while throwing nervous glances in her direction.

"One bowl for her, on me," Shikamaru said to the cook. They allowed her to eat in peace before the bombardment of questions came. "So what happened? I saw them bring you in. You looked pretty out of it," Ino asked, concern actually showing on her features.

"I got…attacked and kidnapped by rogue ninja," she said, reciting the lie she told the ANBU. Naruto shot her a disapproving glance down the bar but continued inhaling his ramen. Sakura fell silent, guilt settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I read the report," Shikamaru said, "good thing you got away when you did."

Sakura pushed her chopsticks around the bowl. "Yea," she murmured.

After they had paid and said goodbye to their friends, Naruto and Sakura walked along the riverbank in a comfortable silence.

"So…how did you get that cut on your leg?" he asked after a while.

Sakura glanced down at her thigh and the light covering of gauze there. "I did it myself…so the story would be more believable."

"I was wondering why you couldn't even tell our friends the truth?"

She sighed and turned on him. "My story is that I was kidnapped and beat but in truth I was kidnapped and treated like a queen for four days, okay! Never in my life have I've been treated that way before and the ironic thing is, he's a blood-thirsty S-class missing nin!," she yelled, her voice getting higher and higher.

Naruto didn't shrink back or even flinch, his cerulean eyes flashing in understanding. Picking up a rock, she hurled it over the water. It skipped across the waves before impaling itself into the opposite shore. She sunk to the ground, clenching her fingers in the moist soil.

"You love him, don't you?" Naruto asked, sinking down beside her.

"No," she murmured but nodding yes.

"Then, go back."

"It's not that easy."

Naruto tossed a flat rock into the water, the ripples spreading out and becoming bigger before altogether disappearing. "Nothing ever is," he muttered.


The sun was low in the sky, it's glow casting shadows on the group of Elders seated at the table. Hokage Tsunade was not among them.

"We're missing an ANBU Black Op and we have no body," one said, bringing his knarled fist down on the oak.

"We have no way of knowing who did it but I have a hunch," one of the top advisors said.

"Akatsuki," the second finished for him, "and this is the place where we believe Haruno Sakura was detained over the last week."

"Is it possible that she may know of our transaction between Sound during the Great Ninja War?" another man croaked.

"Yes," said the second.

"What should we do then?"

"In order to preserve our peace and our secret, we will send ANBU out to dispose of her and she will be listed as KIA (Killed in Action)."

The room was silent, the dread of their task a bitter reminder of their earlier screw-up. Now an innocent child would pay with her life.

"Meeting adjourned."


Author's Note: I know not the most interesting but the next chapter will be better, I promise. I'd like to thank all those who have been reading so far. It gives me great joy to see my inbox full of mail all coming from Fanfiction.

Mask of Mirage