The In Between.
Chapter 10.
By: RobinSparkelz
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
.
.
.
Sakura cannot recall a worse fight, and in the years to come, to it would remain the most brutal fight she has ever had. The words she and Sasuke toss at each other, are worse than any blows they could have ever traded. They are biting, cutting and ugly. They tear each other open, over and over again, until she knows no amount of apologies will ever heal the gaping wounds that they have so maliciously inflicted upon one another, and even then, it is not enough for either of them, because they want to see each other hurt, and they sprinkle salt into the already gaping, raw gashes they've created until equal amounts of agony reflect in their eyes.
Finally she screams, her voice hoarse, her body aching like she has fought a thousand battles, "GET OUT!"
He doesn't move.
"Please, Sasuke. Please just go." Because she can't bear to hear another word from his mouth, because something in her has died and she can't breathe anymore.
She doesn't think she can stand anymore, when she hears the click of the door. The apartment is silent but Sasuke's words ring in her head. Almost gradually do her legs buckle underneath her, until her body reaches the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.
The next morning, Karui finds her, curled up in a ball against her fridge.
.
.
.
Sakura allows herself one week. One week to wallow. One week to cry. One week to gather her strength.
Then after one week, she packs her things and leaves Kumo, she doesn't tell anyone where she is going, or why she is leaving.
.
.
.
Shurui is a small village, it is approximately three days away from Kumo. Sakura would have liked to go further but she has someone else to care for now, and she will not risk the life of the baby growing inside of her by exerting herself travelling.
In her first week in Shirui she stays in a quaint little guest lodge that is one of the first establishments you come across when entering. She does not have to go further into town for supplies, because the guest lodge sports a little convenience store. She buys a box of dye for her hair. She is not in hiding but she doesn't want to make it easier for anyone to find her either.
The guest lodge is busy and Sakura revels in the comfort of having people around her, in their mindless chatter and the ever-present noise. Sasuke's words still play over in her head but her priorities have changed drastically and so she pushes through the pain and plans a future for her and her baby.
On her third night in Shurui, she asks the bubbly and round owner, Mei-san, if she knows of any available apartments to rent.
"I didn't realise you were planning on settling down here, my dear."
Sakura smiled tiredly, "I need a place to stay for a couple of months, this seem like a decent place."
"Oh, it is my dear. Are you staying alone? Or will someone be joining you?" she asked. Sakura could see the concern in her eyes, and she imagined to her, she looked like a lost and lonely child.
"Alone." She replied.
"Well, in that case, I think an apartment, in central town would be better, a young girl like you shouldn't stay too far away from the people."
"Actually." Sakura looked sheepishly at her. "I'd prefer something a little more on the outskirts."
Mei-san wasn't impressed.
.
.
.
In the end Sakura settles into a small two-bedroom house in suburban Shirui. There is a trail leading into the surrounding forest in her backyard, and even though it's not the lush damp kind of greenery that she is used to, it reminds her of home.
She knew Konoha would send someone after her, she didn't expect it to be Shikamaru.
For weeks now, she expected Naruto to burst through her front door, or Ino to barge into her life and demand to know why she disappeared. Instead, on a balmy Tuesday morning, two weeks into her stay in Shirui, while she is unpacking the groceries she's bought to stock her kitchen, there is a knock on her door.
"Why must you be so bothersome Sakura."
"It's nice to see you to, Shikamaru."
.
.
.
"You know I'm supposed to be apprehending you right now."
She laughed, "But isn't this better."
They were lying in the overgrown grass of her backyard, staring at the clouds as they lazily flitted across the sky.
"How's Ino?" she asked, her heart ached for her best friend. If there was ever a time she needed her beautiful, bright best friend, it was now.
"Shikamaru?" she questioned when he didn't answer her. She turned on her side so she could look at him. He was still looking up at the sky, but she could see his discomfort in the rigidness of his body.
"What did you do Shikamaru?"
He sighed, "Ino has been avoiding me." A long pause, "Ever since I told her I proposed to Temari."
"Oh." Sakura said. "Oh my god."
Sakura knew Ino was in love with Shikamaru and she had encouraged her friend to tell him how she felt. She had hoped that Shikamaru had felt the same way.
"I… care about Ino, deeply." He said, misery lacing his words
"I know." She said. "Just not in the way she cares about you."
And for the first time that day, Sakura wondered if Shikamaru had volunteered for the mission to find her, because it seemed to her that she was not the only one hiding from her problems.
.
.
.
Four months later
"You" she said, to her swelling tummy, "Are giving me heartburn."
Sakura summoned a tiny bit of chakra to her hand before pressing it against her chest, lately anything she ate caused her to either sweat profusely or gave her a severe case of heartburn.
She sighed in relief as her chakra cooled down the burning sensation in her oesophagus. She tried to avoid using her chakra during pregnancy, she didn't want her chakra levels to fluctuate too much, because it disturbed the baby.
Deciding to take a walk in the now familiar forest, she slipped her stretched out cardigan over her shoulders and began on her usual trail.
If she knew who'd she'd meet when she got to the little stream not even half an hour away from her home. If she'd, had even an inkling of how her life would change in less than an hour.
She would have never left her home.
.
.
.
Note: I will fucking finish this, ya'll have my word guys. Already busy on chapter 11.
Heads up: Chapter 11 will start with Sasuke finding Sakura almost immediately after Shikamaru's visit. So we will basically flash back and then flash forward to the four months scene later that I have set up at the end of this chapter.