Chapter 8: Alive out of Habit

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction"

As soon as a few hours had passed by, the bell rang to let the students out. When Sakura was putting all her stuff away, Karin stood at the side waiting for her patiently with a look of scrutiny on her face. Sakura had offered to take Karin around the streets and show her the wonderful life of Japan.

Once she was finished, they started walking towards the exit of the school. Sakura was surprised to see Sasuke standing by the gate. His eyes were narrowed and were as sharp as a hawk as he observed Karin.

Sakura walked towards the gate with a questioning look. "Are you okay? Is anything wrong?" Her hand was lifted, ready to touch his arm for a sign of comfort.

"No," His voice was as icy as his look. But he never looked down at Sakura; he kept his eyes focused on Karin.

Sakura pulled her hand back before she touched him. He wasn't the same gentle person he was before. She didn't know why but she felt a horrid pang hit her heart from his attitude. "Oh, okay," Sakura shook her emotions away. "Sasuke, this is Karin," She turned towards Karin. "Karin, this is Uchiha Sasuke,"

Karin smiled sweetly and bowed down. "Hello, Uchiha Sasuke,"

Sasuke didn't do anything. He stared down at the girl who dared to feign her real identity. His eyes pierced into her fiery crimson ones with intensity and agitation.

Karin squeaked and hid behind Sakura, which was pretty impossible.

Sakura glared at Sasuke with anger. He has no reason to be so cruel to the new student. He doesn't even know the new student.

When Sasuke looked at Sakura, he was shocked to see such rage coming from her eyes. Immediately his cold demeanor melted away and his eyes filled with astonishment. He forgot all about Karin for a split second. "Sakura,"

His soft voice caught the attention of Karin.

Karin looked over Sakura's shoulder and got the biggest shock of her life. There was Sasuke standing in front of Sakura with a look of apology. He was looking at her, out of all people, with the look that she, herself had never seen. A vicious stab of unwarranted jealousy went through her. She grimaced; it was true, Uchiha Sasuke had fallen head over heels for someone.

Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke, why are you scaring Karin? You don't even know her." She sighed fiercely. She was confused. He was so soft and gentle before, why is he acting so cold towards her and the new student? She looked down at her cell phone and noticed something. "I'm sorry Karin, but I don't think I can show you the area today. I just remembered I had to go get something."

"It's okay," Karin smiled, bringing out an angrier aura from Sasuke. "Promise that you'll buy me ice cream tomorrow though."

Sakura nodded and smiled slightly. "I promise," Without even looking at Sasuke, she walked past him.

Sasuke combed his hand through his hair viciously as he stared longingly at Sakura's disappearing figure. She didn't look at him! How he would die to see her-

"Hn, it seems as if the famous Uchiha Sasuke has fallen for someone,"

That evil sugar-coated voice stabbed him through the chest. Sasuke whipped his head to look at Karin's envious face. The smallest mistake he had done had become the biggest mistake of a lifetime. He leered down upon her, intimidating her.

She narrowed her eyes dangerously at him when she realized what he was doing. Karin took a graceful step back and smirked at him. "I'm not intimidated by that, fool," Her lip glossed mouth curved upwards sinisterly. "I guess it seems like it's true. You don't know how much he's going to like this,"

Sasuke took a step towards her and raised a hand to caress her cheek. Karin shivered. He had such cold emotionless eyes. His hand lazily curved up her head and down to her neck to lace his fingers within her tendrils. He tightened his fist in her hair and forced her to look up to him. "If you even lay a finger on her, or if one of those goons lay a finger on her, I will make the rain pour blood upon this godforsaken Earth," He viciously let go of her hair, causing Karin to stagger back.

He looked down at her as if she was a disease. "Go back to him and tell him that I will meet him face to face," Sasuke walked down the street hoping that she would leave him alone. She didn't; she paddled right after him like a puppy.

The jealousy was still waving inside of Karin. It was suppose to be her and Sasuke! They were meant to be, right? "How did someone so great fall for someone like her?" Karin started talking in her mother language. "Whatever happened to-"

"To what?" He interrupted her

"Sasuke," The softness of Karin's voice made his eyes hardened.

"What?" He said calmly as he turned and looked at her emotionlessly.

Karin gasped and took a step back from his murderous expression. The rumors were true. He really did fall in love with that girl! That immature, incompetent—CHILD! She pouted her lips and sucked up the leftover courage she had to step in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and sniffed delicately. "Whatever happened to…us?"

Sasuke growled and pushed her away.

This is why he didn't want to have sex with her in the first place.

He knew this was going to happen.

"I merely used you for sex," He stabbed her with those words. "Nothing more and nothing less,"

Karin felt the tears threatening to drip down her cheeks.

An ire flared up in the air as Karin narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Well, guess what! Your precious little lover will be-" Karin didn't finish her sentence.

Sasuke growled fiercely when he heard her measly yet great threat. He grabbed her by the neck and slung her against the wall of a nearby store. "Do you dare?" He asked calmly. He didn't let her respond. He tightened his fingers around her neck until the veins started jutting out of her neck and her face turned an interesting shade of purple.

Karin clawed at his hand but he wouldn't let go. He slammed her once more against the wall and released her neck. She collapsed in a heap and gasped for air, feeling the burning sensation as the oxygen rushed down her throat.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," With those intensifying words, Sasuke left Karin.

She weakly sneered at his figure disappearing within the hoards of people. "You're such a fool," Whipping out a cell phone, Karin dialed a number and waited for an answer.

"Yes,"

"It's confirmed."

"Did you see her face?"

"Yes, I saw the face of his lover."

"Good,"

She shut the phone and limps away among the crowd of people.

"The knight who fights too long against dragons becomes a dragon himself"

She lightly swung the baseball bat in her hand as she walked down the street, thinking about how her mother and stepfather had already left for Hawaii today. She didn't expect them to leave that fast and that sudden. It was on a sudden whim. Sakura knew that they have wanted to go to Hawaii for so long but she didn't think they were THAT desperate. That was what she read from her text earlier. She sighed and stared at the baseball bat in her hand. She had bought it on a "whim" to play with Aristotle; she wanted to go to the park and play catch with him.

And let all the anger flow to the bat as she hit that wretched ball…

As Sakura moved to a corner of a street, she noticed how long the stop light was taking and wanted to take a shortcut. She look longingly to the alley way but there was a little fear in her that screamed. Squashing down her fear, she walked towards the alley.

Feeling a tiny flare of safety, Sakura gripped the bat tighter in her hands.

She heard rats squeaking from the side, running around, darting in between her legs. Sakura yelped when one of them brushed her leg. She began to run down the alleyway with the bat held up above her head.

"I'm never going to do this again!" She gasped as she continued to run.

When she stopped, she noticed something dreadful. As she was running, she heard quick steps behind her.

Multiples of them.

Not even daring to look back, Sakura quickly turned a corner and lengthened her strides to outrun the followers. She should have never taken the alleyway.

She turned another corner and she gasped when she noticed she was at a dead end.

A dead end-

For a dead girl

"Well, well, finally you've stopped,"

Sakura turned around with the bat in her hand. There were six men in total and all of them looked as deadly as the metal bars they held in their hands.

She took a step back and held the bat in front of her. "Leave me alone-"

"Or what? You'll hurt us?" The one with the horrid white hair sneered; his Japanese was a little shaky, but understandable. "Little girl, you don't have the power to even touch us." He caressed the bat with his hand, dirt under his fingernails. "Why don't you be a nice little girl and come along with us. We won't hurt you."

"Never," She narrowed her eyes.

"Then you leave us no choice," He chuckled. "Get her."

Sakura was shaking. She didn't know how to fight. She didn't think she would have the strength to fend for herself.

As one of the thugs ran straight for her, instincts and reflexes twitched from deep inside of her.

She caught him against the arm with enough force to make him drop the metal bar. She then swung the bat in a neat arc with all her strength, catching him against the head. He went down like a rock.

"Bitch!" Another snarled.

The thug, who cursed at her, took the bat from her hand and shoved it into her stomach. She cried out before doubling over in pain. Before she could even move away, he swung the bat and caught her against the leg. She yelped and fell on the concrete.

"Now, now, my little girl," The white dyed guy walked towards her. "Why don't you just submit and come with us? I promise I won't hurt you…much."

"…." She didn't say anything.

"I'm assuming that's a yes," He bent down to grab her arm.

Sakura glared up at him with menacing eyes. "As I had said before: Never,"

She quickly stood and struck out with her arm only to have him dodge her blow He then straighten up to deliver a staggering strike to her ribs. The pain drove her straight to her knees once more. He seized her by the arm and slung her onto the floor furiously.

Sakura cried out as her delicate hip hit the concrete.

That cry ignited a demon.

And little did the thugs knew that they were in for it-

Big time

Quickly, Sakura got the strength from God knows where, and stood back up. Instinctively, she went to hit him, only to have him move away, lightning fast. This time when he tried to strike her, he was slammed into the building beside her.

"Leave her alone!" Sasuke snarled.

"Holy shit! It's him!" The thug who took her bat, dropped it. The thud echoed throughout the alley.

"BlackDragon!"

Sasuke stood there, power bleeding from his every pore.

It was her cry that ignited this awaken demon

A sleepy demon

And they will pay the consequences

"Boss! What do we do?" One of the members whispered loudly.

Suigetsu watched the girl and the demon. He noticed how Sasuke had placed himself between them and the girl as if protecting her. Who was she? Was she really that important? His eyes narrowed as he scratched the top of his white head. His mouth dropped open as soon as he realized something.

She is his lover.

Sakura gazed at Sasuke. Her heart swelled up as soon as she had seen him and knew it was all going to be over. Soon or later this nightmare will die down.

"Sasuke," She whispered.

He was her hero—and this was the second time he was saving her from muggers.

As much as the boss hated it, he must withdraw from this fight.

"We're leav-" But before he could finish his sentence, Sasuke flew towards the group. There was a craving bloodlust in those deep dark eyes.

It was animalistic

It wasn't humane

Sasuke pulled back his arm and smashed his fist into the white haired man. He went flying backwards and hit the wall with such force that the building trembled. Once the boss fell to the floor, Sasuke grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up.

"Who sent you?" Sasuke spoke in his mother language.

The boss couldn't speak because Sasuke suddenly grabbed his throat and began to tighten his hand.

One of the thugs grabbed the fallen bat and swung it to hit Sasuke on the shoulder.

Sakura cried out when the bat made a connection to his shoulder. But he didn't wince or even flinch. She got up and ran to the guy, trying to wrestle the bat away from him. But he was too strong and too stubborn to let go of the bat.

Someone grabbed her and pulled her away from the fight.

Sasuke's black eyes burning into her. "I'm stronger, you're weak."

I will survive, you might not

Sakura was maneuvered towards an empty, safe spot in the alley. The way he was full of lethalness right now was frightening yet fascinating. He was sadistically beautiful. A face of an angel. No heart. No thoughts. His lips curving in a sinful sickening smile.

It was all up to Sasuke now.

He looked back slowly, a deadly glint in his eyes. Sasuke had released the boss' neck and turned towards the man who dared hit him with the bat to find Sakura fighting him. Now his blood was boiling to a familiar point.

He hadn't felt this kind of power in a long time.

The guy was backing up, trembling as his shaky fingers faltered and the bat hit the ground with a thud. But that didn't stop Sasuke from turning into an animal.

Sakura painfully watched Sasuke walking towards the guy who was shivering in fear. She noticed that the other men were now making a battle ring around Sasuke and the man. "Sasuke, watch out!" She yelled when she noticed one of the men rushed forward to attack him.

It was fluid, violent, and morbidly beautiful.

He kicked out his leg at the man who rushed him and watched as he dropped to the floor. Instantly, Sasuke kicked him at the head. The snap of his neck breaking rushed through his brain and he grinned menacingly, sadistically.

It was time for BlackDragon to arise.

At the snap of the man's neck, the rest of the gang threw themselves at Sasuke, their metal bars raised above their head.

Sakura cried out when one of the metal bars hit Sasuke in the face. Tears were coming out of her eyes as she continued to watch the fight. And she hated it.

She was useless.

Sasuke ground his teeth as pain exploded along his cheek to his nose, and he tasted the coppery substance coming into his mouth.

He smiled grimly as he felt a trail of blood run from the corner of his lips.

Suigetsu rose from the ground, staggering as he stood. He watched with horrid eyes as Sasuke killed all of his men, one by one. Such power and such anger were radiating off of him and he could feel it. He shivered and turned his head to the side when he heard a sniffle.

It was his lover.

He sneered. He wouldn't dare touch her after he had brushed up close to death.

She was poison to him—

And to Sasuke

"Retreat!" The boss yelled throughout the alley, and immediately all the men ran from the circle except for three men. Too bad they couldn't move because they were dead.

As Suigetsu ran towards the car parked near the alley, he smiled grimly.

They were going to have to retrieve BlackDragon's lover-

Secretly

He wouldn't have a chance to save her then.

Sakura ran towards Sasuke when the muggers had run off. Sasuke was clutching at his stomach with extreme pain shown on his face. She raised a hand to place it on his shoulder only to be yelled at.

"Don't touch me!" Sasuke's voice was sinister as he spoke those words, reinforcing his lethalness. He tried to ward Sakura off with his hand outstretched.

Sakura gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

His hand was covered with blood.

Blood completely coated the underside of his shirt.

His head was blasting with pain, he winced as the pain lacerated through him. Sasuke clutched at his stomach and his hand was fisted at his temple. He stood immobile while vicious, horrid images tore through his memory. Memories he wanted to disappear, but were brought back up today.

He hated his memories almost as much as he hated himself.

"Sasuke?"

He turned at the soft voice that went down him like a silken caress.

With gentleness Sakura wouldn't have thought of him to have, his dark, deadly gaze softened. The one corner of his lips curved upwards slightly and he moved forward.

Disoriented, Sasuke slowed, stumbling forward until he couldn't go any farther.

The blackness covered his vision, leaving the image of Sakura with a pain stricken face, reaching for him.

He was an idiot.

And he was attracted to her.

The human heart is such a mystery.

"A place where memories are forgotten"