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Beyond This Illusion
.:: Chapter Ten ::.
The trees were eerily quiet, Sakura noted. It was too quiet. She paused in her running, and closed her eyes. She wasn't necessarily the best at sensing other chakras, but she was fairly decent enough. And she couldn't sense any, but that didn't mean she was alone. She was feeling jumpy for some reason, anxious even.
It's because you haven't been on a solo mission in a while, Sakura told herself bitterly. She performed a few protective genjutsu's and sat down on a tree stump. The mission folder lay in her lap, crumpled.
She knew she could do this. She had to prove everyone else wrong. Because she wasn't weak anymore. Most of all, she had to prove that to Sasuke. When Naruto had gone off to find Sasuke, she was supposed to be there to prove to him she wasn't weak anymore. But she never got that opportunity. So now was her chance to finally prove to Sasuke that he didn't have to baby her. That she was perfectly capable of handling herself.
Alright, Sakura. You can do this, she told herself, formulating a plan. This wasn't a difficult mission. All she had to do was travel to Cloud Country to get a herb that Tsunade needed to create some sort of cure. She didn't know (or need to know) the details. What she needed to do, was succeed.
The only reason this was a B-rank was because of the possibility of running into rogue ninja. Plus the fact that an Akatsuki member (however dead Deidara may be) originated from Cloud.
She mapped out the best route to get there from where she was now, and organized her weapons pouch to ensure she would be readily prepared. After a quick snack, she set out again, hoping to make it half ways to Cloud by sundown.
She couldn't shake the jumpy feeling, so she tried to pass it off as excitement. But Sakura knew she was fooling herself.
Whatever it was, she refused to let her emotions get in the way and botch her mission.
It was nightfall, and she'd pushed herself a little more than she expected to. If she set out early tomorrow morning, she'd get to Cloud by late afternoon. She'd stay there for the night and head home first thing the following morning, hopefully being back in Fire Country that night.
After eating a light dinner, she set out to find a spring where she could wash up. It didn't take long, for she smelled the dampness in the air. The water was slightly warm – a result of it being the middle of the summer. She'd hoped for the water to be a little colder, to cool down her sweating body, but it wasn't that unpleasant. She allowed herself to relax for a few minutes, masking her chakra. She refused to lwt her guard down completely though.
After she decided she had enough relaxation, she dressed back into her clothes and set up her tent for the night. It wasn't long after she entered the tent when she heard a rustling in the bushes.
Really? Sakura thought, slightly annoyed. They had to pick my sleeping time, didn't they?
Sakura sat up from her sleeping bag and shut her eyes, sensing the chakra around her. There were three of them, and if they weren't smart enough to mask their chakra in the first place, they shouldn't be too difficult to eliminate.
She waited until they neared the tent before she decided to launch an attack. Channeling chakra into her fist, Sakura slammed her hand through the tent flap, right into the face of her enemy. Perfect, she smirked, hearing a bone crack. Satisfied that she broke her first opponent's nose, she emerged from the tent, kicking the ninja back. He landed against a tree with a loud thunk, and part of the tree cracked.
Her other two opponents wasted no time in shock. Instead they grabbed hold of her arms, one holding a kunai to her throat. Sakura played innocent.
"Hey, bitch. That wasn't very nice of you," the man sneered. She smelled alcohol on his breath and wanted to vomit. She put on a terrified façade, acting as though she was weak and defenseless. When in reality, she was concentrating her chakra to form a chakra scalpel. The man pressed the kunai against her throat, while the other raided her tent for any valuables.
"So pretty girl, how about you make it up to me?" Sakura glared – momentarily forgetting her façade – before spitting in the man's face. "You're gunna pay for that, bitch!"
Sakura smirked and slowly moved her hand to the man's arm that held the kunai against her throat. Swiftly, she slashed the chakra scalpel through his arm, causing it to fall limp. The ninja stared down at his arm in shock, mouth hanging open.
"What the hell did you to do my arm?" he shouted, backing away from her. He gripped another kunai with his good arm and threw it at her, but she dodged quickly, sending a kick right to the center of his chest. She knew she knocked the wind out of him when his eyes widened and he passed out on the spot. Turning quickly, she ducked as a punch was sent flying in her direction.
"I don't know who you think you are, or what you did to my partners, but I'm going to make sure you never do it again!"
Sakura laughed brusquely. She disappeared from his sight, only to reappear behind him. "Sweet dreams," she murmured before striking the back of his neck, sending him tumbling to the ground. Sakura stared at the fallen ninja in contempt. That move was learned from Sasuke.
Packing up her tent quite resigned, Sakura set off to find another place to stay for the night.
Sasuke masked his chakra rather well. He'd been itching to jump into the fight, but he'd assessed them and realized their skill level was low. Sakura could handle it. He didn't – however – know why such weak ninja were picking fights in the first place. But he sat on a nearby branch, watching as she took out the ninja with an air of superiority. He had to roll his eyes. She was being dramatic.
He did admire her chakra scalpel technique, and if his pride wouldn't prevent him from doing so, he may have asked her to teach it to him while he used his sharingan to copy it.
Part of him felt a little guilty for betraying her trust, but another part (the bigger part) said that this was for her own good. He couldn't jeopardize the mother of his future children because of some stupid retrieval mission. Not that he didn't trust her, but after hearing what had happened to her in the past, he wouldn't take any risks.
But he had to be careful.
He knew that if Sakura discovered his presence, she'd never forgive him.
He didn't blame her though; she had every right to be upset. He didn't expect her to understand his reasoning.
Sasuke followed Sakura to her new destination, unaware that when he fell asleep in the trees, Sakura's eyes wouldn't stop suspiciously glancing at him every now and then.
"Haruno-san, I'm very pleased to see that you made it here without trouble."
Sakura smiled and bowed. "No problem at all, Raikage-sama."
"You're welcome to stay overnight if you wish. I shall get a room set up for you immediately."
Sakura bowed politely, "Thank you, Raikage-sama."
Sakura held the herb in her hand, zipping it neatly in a plastic baggy. All this trouble for that stupid leaf. It better be worth it.
The old man waved his hand. "Nonsense! You're always welcome here." The man's face flashed dangerously, as a dark aura suddenly flashed about him. Sakura swallowed, pretending she didn't see.
It was silent for a few minutes.
"I heard you married the Uchiha." He muttered darkly.
Sakura – shocked – could only nod. The Raikage sighed pitifully and turned his head away from her.
"I'm sure you know what he did to Killer Bee. I can't simply let that pass by."
Sakura bit her lip, trying not to burst out in Sasuke's defense. "Raikage-sama, Sasuke-kun realizes that what he did was wrong. He…wasn't under his normal influence when he did so. He didn't mean to do it."
"But he did."
Sakura couldn't reply.
"I hope you know that I wish you no harm, my dear. But I can't and won't be held accountable for anything that may happen to your husband. Thus, I may apologize in advance."
Sakura felt her eyes watering, with a sudden urge to run back to Konoha as fast as she could and just get the hell out of here. Just run home and into Sasuke's arms, and feel him. Know that he's safe and sound. Because he could get attacked at this very moment without her knowledge. The thought made a lump rise in the back of her throat.
"Sakura-san, please leave now. Do send Tsunade my best regards."
Sakura bowed lowly and murmured a quick 'thank you' as she left briskly, with as much respect as she could muster. If she fell short, however, she had a feeling he understood.
Sasuke's anger boiled within him. How dare he talk to Sakura like that, as if he knew her. How dare he make subtle threats to him behind his back!
It wasn't like he knew that Killer Bee was related to him when he killed him. No, he had merely been an obstacle in the way of his revenge, and had to be dealt with appropriately.
Besides, Sasuke thought to himself solemnly, it was either him or me.
Sasuke grit his teeth in a way that would surely cause damage, but he didn't care. He watched Sakura as she walked past the Hotel where she was supposed to be staying at for the night.
What in the hell is she doing?
Sakura looked around suspiciously, before she disappeared in a cloud of her namesake – cherry blossoms.
Sasuke blinked, then closed his eyes quickly, scanning for her chakra.
It wasn't like she was bad at masking her chakra, per say, but that he was just good at detecting it. He was so used to being in her presence that he could spot her from miles away if need be. Which – in his opinion – was a good thing.
Keeping his eyes closed, he noticed something…off about her. He couldn't quite place exactly what it was, but he figured he'd better follow her closer than before. Just in case.
It seemed she didn't want to waste time overnight by staying there. Sasuke wondered why Sakura was suddenly in such a rush. Perhaps she was worried. She was worried about the Raikage's threat, and she wanted to get home as fast as possible.
A pang of guilt coursed through his body as he realized that even on a mission, Sakura was still thinking about him.
"Stupid girl." He muttered lowly. She should be focusing on her surroundings, not him!
Sasuke jumped swiftly between the trees, and he was surprised that Sakura was keeping such a quick pace. At this rate, she was bound to tire out soon. He figured that eventually, he'd have to pass her if he wanted to be back in Konoha by the time she got home. He didn't want her getting suspicious or anything.
And he didn't even want to think of the consequences of him leaving the village without permission. He'd have to think of a good excuse for that one. But – he decided – I'll worry about that later.
Sasuke sensed another chakra up ahead of Sakura. It was strong, but he'd stay back unless absolutely necessary.
Sakura noticed it too, for he watched as she subtly took a kunai out from its holster.
She didn't falter in her pace, however, as she approached the enemy head on.
It was a female rogue, this time.
"And where do you think you're going?" the girl mocked, in a shrill voice. Sakura rolled her eyes, crouching into a fighting position.
"Obviously nowhere until you get out of my way." She retorted. The girl merely smirked as she disappeared into thin air.
Sasuke sat in a nearby tree, observing just as he had her previous fight. If he was being honest with himself, he liked watching her fight. Her body was lithe and flexible as she darted around the senbon thrown at her. She was graceful – if only in battle. He couldn't fathom how she was so damn clumsy all the time, but when she fought she did so with careful precision. Was she purposely clumsy, then?
But suddenly, an arm plunged itself from the woman's stomach and tore into Sakura's shoulder.
His eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forward instinctively, ready to intervene.
Sakura cursed loudly, and healed the wound as best as she could given the circumstance. Once the bleeding stopped and it was scabbed over, Sakura didn't give it another thought. She channeled chakra into her fist and punched the girl in the jaw. The female's skin moved with the punch, morphing and then snapping back into place.
Sasuke furrowed his brows. Her technique was similar to that of Suigetsu. He could dodge an attack – what with him being made of water and all – and still be fine.
This girl was going to have to take a lot of damage to halt her body's healing process.
I wonder if I burn her…
Sasuke clenched his teeth, determine not to jump into Sakura's fight. But he honestly didn't know if Sakura could do much damage. She didn't have many ninjutsu attacks that she could perform against this opponent, and taijutsu wouldn't work. So unless she had a powerful genjutsu under her belt – which he seriously doubted – there was no way she could win.
She'd probably punch me if she heard me say that.
Sasuke was interrupted from his musings when he heard Sakura's piercing scream. This time, the wound shot through her stomach. He was facing her back, and he saw the fingers.
Sasuke's anger rose as he realized the arm had pierced through her entire body.
Without thinking, he jumped down from the tree.
"Fire Style: Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
A large ball of flame erupted from Sasuke, searing everything in its path. He heard the girl's penetrating wail and smirked as he ran out of breath. Vaguely, he had heard Sakura shouting his name in surprise.
Sasuke turned to face Sakura, worry evident on his face. But all he found in her was fury.
She was gripping her stomach to stop the bleeding as he stared back at her apathetically.
"You…you…asshole! You followed me the entire time! You didn't trust me!"
"And good thing, too." He barked back accusingly. He eyed her stomach warily. The gash had gone through her entire body.
"Stop staring at it!" Sakura snipped, turned so that she could heal it.
And that's when it hit him.
What he sensed strange about Sakura before. His eyes widened as he stared at her stomach in disbelief.
"Sakura. You're…"
Sakura turned, angry but confused. Sasuke was never one to trail off.
"What?" she demanded impatiently. She finished healing the wound, and she wobbled on her feet a bit. She needed to rest. Leaning against the tree, she glared at him expectantly.
"You're pregnant."
Sakura sunk deep into the hot springs, rubbing her stomach. She couldn't keep her hands off of herself ever since Sasuke made the announcement. Why she hadn't noticed was beyond her, but she figured that since Sasuke had the Sharingan, he'd be better at detecting faint traces of chakra.
Sasuke sat on a nearby rock, watching her silently. He too, wouldn't keep his eyes off her. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Sakura knew he was excited. And slightly worried. After all, she had just been sliced through. But upon examination, (ironically done by Sasuke) it was determined that the baby was safe. Thank Kami.
The fog from the hot springs soothed her aching muscles as she leaned against the rock Sasuke was on. She made sure to keep her chest below water, since she was nude. Even though he'd seen everything before, (and could probably still see through the water) she felt shy.
Just knowing that their child was growing inside her sent a warm thrill up her spine, and she giggled at the thought. Sasuke didn't say anything at her behavior, for she'd been doing this for almost an hour.
It was dark out, and the two decided to break for the night. After a violent fight, Sakura let it drop for now. She knew she had to rest, and Sasuke knew he wasn't in the clear yet.
"You should come in." Sakura suggested, closing her eyes. He looked down at her without replying. Almost as if she knew, she continued. "You're probably tired, whether you want to admit it or not."
"Someone has to keep lookout." He pointed out. Sakura lifted her hand from the water and turned to splash him. He glared in return.
"C'mon, Sasuke. What, are you afraid to get a little wet?" she goaded teasingly. Sasuke shook his head and stood, lifting his shirt over his head. He tossed it next to Sakura's discarded clothes and removed his pants. Sakura turned as he removed his boxers, waiting until she heard him enter the water to turn back around.
He leaned against the rock, closing his eyes. But Sakura knew he was still alert. She knew he'd probably jump out of the water stark naked and fight against any threats if need be. The thought made Sakura laugh.
She swam next to him and grabbed his hand for a moment under the water, giving it a light squeeze. He didn't squeeze her hand back, but she didn't expect him to. She let go of his hand to rub her tummy once again.
"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" she asked him, looking down at herself. Without moving, Sasuke replied,
"Neither yet. It's too early for it to be anything."
She smacked his arm playfully. "You know what I mean." She whispered softly, cherishing the moment.
"I don't know." He replied, sinking deeper into the water. She turned to face him.
"You know, now I'm going to get fat and cranky and ugly. And you're going to have to do everything I want."
Sasuke smirked. "So nothing will change?"
Sakura's mouth hung agape, and he opened his eyes, his smirk widening. If it weren't for the fact that he just made a joke, Sakura would be a hell of a lot more pissed. Instead, she 'hmphed' and crossed her arms, elbowing him lightly.
Gradually, she began to lean against him. He noticed, but didn't say anything. After a while though, her whole head was resting against his shoulder. He looked at her, about to tell her to get off, when he noticed she was sleeping.
"Annoying." He muttered, scooping her into his arms. He rose from the water silently, drying her off and slipping her clothes back on her almost mechanically.
For a moment, he paused at her stomach, where the wound had been only hours ago. His fingers rose to that area, and before he could stop himself, he brushed her skin softly. Smoothing his palm against her, he felt the subtle surges of a chakra growing inside her.
Dressing himself as well, he got her tent out of the bag and set it up.
She was still sleeping when he was finished setting up camp. Quietly, he scooped his arms underneath her and picked her up again, leading her into the tent. Her hair was damper than his, but he figured it'd dry soon. He lay her down on the sleeping bag gently, crawling in next to her.
Part of him couldn't believe that Sakura was really pregnant. It seemed like everything up until now was just going through the motions. It was all leading up to this. His goal. He was finally reviving his clan. And while he wouldn't quite describe it as happy, it was the closest thing to it. At least, for him. A bubble of pride welled up in his chest as he imagined a new Uchiha coming into the world. They'd redeem his clan together, the three of them.
He knew that Sakura was the only person he'd trust to do this with, and he was glad she was more than willing to help. He needed her much more than he thought he ever would, and she never let him down. He stared at her for a while, watching as she slept peacefully, not making a sound.
He would be a good father, he told himself. His son wouldn't need to crave his attention, he'd give it freely. Yes, he wanted a son. He wanted a son to teach everything he ever learned to. Someone he could have a bond with that he knew he wouldn't be able to have with a daughter.
He was awkward around kids, but he'd get through it.
Because he finally had a family again.
And although he was probably going to be in deep shit tomorrow, Sasuke closed his eyes easily and didn't open them again until the next morning.
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