Author's Note: I do believe it's been over a year since I've written on this! It doesn't feel that way though, lol. It's crazy how fast time passes. A little scary too. I've been thinking of this story a lot lately and I think I'm going to try to work through the plot idea I had and maybe get somewhere. It's only taken five years to do it, hahahaha!
I see nothing in your eyes,
And the more I see the less I like
Is it over yet?
In my head?
I know nothing of your kind,
And I won't reveal your evil mind
Is it over yet?
I can't win
So sacrifice yourself
And let me have what's left
I know that I can find
A fire in your eyes
I'm going all the way
Get away, please
You take the breath right out of me
you left a hole where my heart should be
You've gotta fight just to make it through
Cause I will be the death of you
~Breaking Benjamin - Breathe
The water slid down effortlessly, cool still, despite being pressed against her own warm skin for so long. Sakura half-expected it to do something dramatic immediately and through the fear and pain, felt a small trickle of foolishness when nothing happened. Whatever Toumichi's reaction to her own action was she didn't know because every drop of energy she had left was riveted on the man-boy in front of her: boy, because she couldn't reconcile the person who stood in front of her with the one in her memory, and man, because the last of youth had given way to the harsh, mature edges of adulthood.
Nothing shifted in his face. She could no more read him now than she could then.
One word, "Stupid," and he moved forward, bending down in front of her. She felt herself tense, ready for anything, and then his eyes met hers, slicing into her with an intensity that made her want to cringe and shy away. "Don't, whatever you're planning. It's a waste of what energy you have left and it will likely kill you."
His hand closed over the empty vile, and it was gone, spirited away into his robes.
Jerking her chin in a useless, childish gesture, she fought against the rising indignation. "I know it. It was better than letting either of you have it."
It was there and gone, a twisting of the lips signaling a smile she wouldn't have believed if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.
"Same Sakura. You haven't changed at all. Still sacrificing yourself when it's not necessary, proving you have no more sense than Naruto."
This time anger flooded through her, quick and hot and lethal, giving her the push to rise to her feet. "Don't you dare speak of him! Never again! You have no right to even say his name!"
As if someone had grabbed a hold of her and pulled her forward, Sakura felt the outburst cost her and was helpless to stop the fall. He caught her easily, hands on her shoulders, burning their way through her skin and her face collided with his chest. And all she could think was that his smell hadn't changed, that it sucked her in and bombarded her with memories she wanted no part of.
Stupid, stupid, Sakura, you are so stupid!
Tears gathered as her eyelids slid shut of their own violation. It was like being a puppet, having no control over her own movements, her thoughts the last thing she could claim ownership of. It left her with a sense of hopelessness and defeat she wished she didn't have to acknowledge.
Maybe Sasuke was right, as he had so often been in the past. She had given up everything for nothing. She would die here, and Sasuke and Toumichi would live on to do whatever it was they were going to do and she couldn't even warn Tsunade that the Uchiha heir was alive. And Naruto... She would never see him again.
"You should have trusted me, Sakura." His voice was warm against her ear, and strangely, instead of comforting, it left her feeling like a thousand of Shino's bugs were etching a path in her skin.
If she'd had the ability, she would've laughed. Trust, Sasuke? If she thought him capable, Sakura might have accused him of joking.
"Use your brain. Obviously this situation is not favorable to Toumichi. His fear of me is evident, thereby telling you we are not on the same side."
"How... How the hell do you even begin to think I would... Trust you?" The effort it took to talk had fear licking through her again in hungry strokes, and for the first time the consequences of drinking the Hero Water were a reality.
"Stop talking." He didn't move, and yet she sensed his attention had shifted and his next words, "Don't move," were not for her.
A slight tilt of his head and they were surrounded by Nin. She felt their chakra--powerful, far more lethal than Toumichi, but nothing compared to Sasuke. The immense depth of his strength, of his abilities, were like a long, dark well. She couldn't find the bottom. It drove the fear higher and she almost wished the sleepiness would overpower her and take it all away.
No! Don't think that way. You're not a coward! You have to do something while you still can!
It came in a rush. An uprising of strength and energy that nearly left her skin crackling. Elation tore through her and she braced herself to break away from Sasuke and make what was possibly her last and only stand. Here and now was where she could make Tsunade and Naruto proud, if only to do what no one else had done: Rid the world of Sasuke and keep Konoha safe.
Wait! Don't let him know... Stay limp... Be patient!
"Sakura..." His voice was so soft, almost like the caress of a lover or the regard of a friend. "Don't. It's all you have keeping you alive. Don't make me have to hurt you."
He knows! Even realizing it, she ignored his advice and tore away, readying herself. Sasuke wasn't the only one different, the only one with secrets. He had no idea of the chakra she had worked so hard to amass. Her hands weren't only for healing and if necessary, she was prepared to lose her own life in an attempt to tear him to pieces.
Wait... Don't forget what you once felt-
She cut the voice off, shoving away any decent memory or feeling she'd once had for him. Her loyalty was to the people who had stayed behind, to the people who had died for Konoha's livelihood. First and foremost, she was a Kunoichi, had made that choice a long, long time ago and had quickly learned the price of that choice.
At her obvious aggression, the Nin began to move forward, only to stop with the raising of Sasuke's hand. "Leave her to me. Take care of Toumichi."
Though his tone hadn't changed, she felt a chill work through her at the finality of his words, at the ease and carelessness of it. Toumichi wasn't worthy of life, having killed her teammates, but she would have taken him back to Tsunade for questioning, not killed him. Still, she couldn't take her focus away from Sasuke to find out what was going on behind her.
You're thinking too much! Just do it!
His eyes were on her again, and she couldn't help but falter.
What makes you think you can do it if Naruto couldn't all those years ago?
Sakura ground her teeth together until her jaw screamed for relief. It wasn't going to do her any good to think that way, not at this point. It was all or nothing.
"You know I can't just let you go, Sasuke. One of us is going to have to die here."
"No." He sounded so certain. The arrogance of it frankly pissed her off. Sasuke had always been this way, always thought his opinion the most important. In this instance, Sakura knew she was right, but that didn't mean she could blindly charge him without a plan.
Think, think! You're going to waste your chance!
"I'm offering you the chance to use what energy you have to concentrate on surviving versus wasting it on trying to kill me. Don't be foolish. You can't succeed with the later."
Bluff! "Don't be so certain. It's been a long time since we've seen each other." Too long.
"Your chakra is impressive, Sakura, but it's not enough. Because Toumichi took most of it, this Hero Water has only given you a small boost where you might actually have stood some chance before."
Despite her efforts, she wasn't able to hide that from him. It shouldn't surprise her, given how little she knew of him now, but it did. She didn't have time to waste on the emotion, however, because she had to figure out what she was going to do; believe he truly wanted to help her and go with him, or trust her instincts and give it her best attempt to kick his ass.
What choice did she honestly have? "You know I can't trust a thing you say, Sasuke."
She didn't wait. She didn't let him answer, didn't give him a second to take in her words. A moment, and she felt herself move, Naruto swimming in her vision before she blinked and all that she could see was Sasuke standing in front of her for the last time.
"You give me no choice then..." And the regret in his tone, his face, almost had her faltering through her resolve.
It hadn't mattered. None of it. Whatever he truly meant, he was right about one thing: everything she had worked for, everything she had struggled through and gained, was for nothing.
Warm fingers slid around her neck, and the last thing she heard before darkness rushed up to swallow her, was her name.
Author's other note: Oooooo, dramatic. What can I say, I like drama. Naruto was a very dramatic series and I am not going to pass up the opportunity to capitalize on that! Way too fun.
After over a year, I hope this latest chapter wasn't too disappointing! Hopefully I can get out the next soon.
