And So the Blossom Withers

Chapter 13: Borrowed Fate

'Cause you know what they say
About the visions in your head and what they mean.
How strange.

-Emilie Autumn

"I wanted to see who got to go to the finals." Sakura whined as she followed Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Me too." Sasuke sighed, his hands in his pockets.

"Quit whining you two, Naruto will probably tell us all about it afterwards." Kakashi kept walking. He knew both of them wanted to see the fights but he needed to talk to them both and he needed to seal Sakura's curse mark.

Kakashi opened a door and went down some stairs and Sasuke and Sakura quietly followed, closing the door behind them. There was no arguing with Kakashi, if he was taking them away from the fights it was absolutely necessary. He knew Kakashi worried about her just as Sasuke and Naruto, though they all had different ways of showing it.

When already down Sakura asked, "What are we doing here?"

"I'm going to seal your curse mark, but first I have to make some preparations." He spoke doing some markings on the floor and Sakura quickly reached for her neck. She took out the bandage covering it. "Tell me what happened in the forest of death." Kakashi commanded.

She looked at Sasuke before speaking to find a frown on his face, "We encountered a ninja and after fighting with Sasuke he extended his neck and went for Sasuke but I got in the way and this was the result…" She spoke touching her neck for a moment.

"Why did you get in the way…?" Sasuke asked and when she looked over at him he saw him look at the ground.

"I had a bad feeling…my body moved on its own." She spoke, it wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole story either. Somehow she had seen him getting the mark and saw the results of it. It frightened her. She couldn't let him live that life when she had the chance to stop it.

She cared about him and she didn't want all she saw to come true.

Running after him, chasing him down, and going in for the kill. That's what she had to do. Yet when catching up to him…that was a difficult task. There was a cliff and so she had him cornered there, if he fell he wouldn't survive. "I know you don't want to do this Sakura. You know, I wanted to live a different life, with you…and Naruto of course; yet this cursed seal took that away… I'm sorry." And he let himself fall…

She didn't want him to ruin his life because of that mark, he meant too much to her. She didn't know what those visions where, but she would do all in her power to ensure they didn't come true. He was a friend and she cared about him.

She didn't just like him or idolize him like she did back in the Academy, she care about him as a person. Her eyes fell on him as he glared down on the floor lost in thought; she was afraid for herself, what was going to happen to her in result of the mark in her neck. But she was glad it wasn't him.

She stopped and gasped seeing how close she was to him. They were so close. Just an inch apart, just then her gaze fell over his lips. She suddenly forgot everything around her, the fight with Ino and the mark on her neck that almost went out of control. Being so close to him was something she had always secretly wanted and now that she had it she felt herself tense. She had never been so close to a boy and she never imagined the first would be him. She wanted so badly to close the gap between them, but thought better of it. She looked into his onyx eyes that bore into hers and thought she saw them flick to her lips for a moment.

She was then reminded that he was Sasuke, he would never feel that way for her. It was probably her mind playing tricks on her she decided.

Suddenly a voice interrupted her thoughts, "Sakura, are you okay?" Kakashi asked worried.

Sakura's eyes flicked to him and she answered, "Yeah, umm..." She paused looking back at Sasuke, "May I get up now?" She felt herself blushed as she looked up to him and saw his eyes widened for a moment as he let her sit up. She was glad Kakashi interrupted them before she did something she shouldn't have.

She hoped her thoughts hadn't been so obvious earlier. She sighed, she didn't want to ruin how things were between them because of some stupid thoughts.

"That's all that happened?" Kakashi asked breaking both Sasuke and Sakura's thoughts. He was asking about the curse mark.

"No. Sakura fainted after getting that mark and I took her both and Naruto, who were unconscious, to a safe place. Sound ninja came looking for her, Rock Lee and I fought them, but they would have killed us both…" he paused angry to have to admit he couldn't protect Sakura the way he should have, he continued, "if Sakura hadn't woken up, she…" he trailed off looking at Sakura for permission to tell Kakashi the rest of the story. Instead she spoke herself.

"I was taken over by this mark and before I knew it I killed the sound ninja who had hurt Sasuke…I didn't mean to kill him… I-" her voice broke and Kakashi and Sasuke looked at her. Neither of them wanted this for her.

'To have to kill so young' Kakashi thought his eyes saddened at the sight of her like this. "You did what you had to do to protect your team mate, your friend. You did nothing wrong, he would have done the same for you." Kakashi tried to comfort her.

Sakura could feel one of her team mates get up and as she looked she noticed it was Sasuke.

"Sasuke…" She breathed his name in relief.

Yet when he rose to his feet there was a dark aura around him and he was covered with markings visible throughout all his body. His eyes red with the sharingan, he looked menacing.

"Sakura…who did this to you?" He spoke staring directly in her eyes, there was a hint of concern in his voice, but also it was a threat to whoever had hurt her.

"Sasuke?" She asked, her eyes wide, it looked like Sasuke, but it couldn't be him.

"Who is it?" He asked, more forceful now, but Sakura didn't answer.

"I did it." Spoke the sound ninja grinning over at Sasuke. He attacked Sasuke with sound coming from his arms but Sasuke used a substitution and appeared beside him. He punched him and the sound ninja fell to the ground.

Sasuke put a foot in his back and took both of his hands in his. He grinned and Sakura could feel his dark aura as he prepared to hurt the sound ninja just as he had hurt her. "So I see you're so proud of these two arms…the arms that hurt her. Hurting her was a grave mistake." He said as he, in a swift movement broke both of his arms.

He turned to the other two knowing they had also taken part to hurt Sakura. "Just two left…"

Sakura couldn't bear see him like this; this wasn't the Sasuke she knew. She stood up despite the pain all over her body and ran at him. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his body.

"Stop!" She screamed at him and with his crimson eyes he looked back at her. "Sasuke, please stop…" She cried silently gripping him more tightly. As he looked at her she could see the marks disappearing from his body. And as he deactivated the sharingan he saw the onyx eyes of the Sasuke she knew.

"I know." She whispered. Again with those visions. She wondered if she was going crazy or if they were even real.

"Naruto doesn't know any of this, right?" Kakashi asked.

"No." Sasuke answered looking at Sakura who was looking at the ground refusing to look at neither of them.

"Please, don't tell him anything Kakashi sensei… at least not yet." She silently pleaded.

"Alright." Kakashi couldn't deny her that just like Sasuke; they were both moved by the unmistakable pain in her eyes as she looked back at them.

Over with the markings on the floor and the circle he made with his kunai's Kakashi turned to Sakura. "I need you to take off the dress and sit in the middle." Kakashi commanded her.

"I'll be leaving." Sasuke spoke and as he turned away Sakura touched his shoulder.

"Don't leave; I don't want to be alone…" She pleaded and he nodded staying.

Sakura did as she was told, zipping off the dress and placed it on the floor. Of course she felt uncomfortable, but that didn't matter now, they needed to seal the mark. Only in her binding wrapped around her chest and her shorts she sat on where Kakashi instructed her. She took her hair and moved it away from her curse mark so it wouldn't interfere.

Sasuke watched as Kakashi took a kunai and cut his hands and with his blood made markings around the curse mark. He saw Sakura tremble slightly as she bit her lip, she was scared.

After a while Kakashi finished with the markings and straightened up, "Okay… It'll be over quickly." He spoke hoping for Sakura to calm down. "You ready?" He asked and she just nodded, Kakashi sighed before making several hand signs as he finished all the hand sings necessary he spoke, "Curse sealing!" placing his hand on where the curse mark was.

Sasuke saw Sakura scream loudly in pain, it was horrible to see her like that. All the markings Kakashi had drawn on the floor and on her body reacted to Kakashi's jutsu, all of them retreated to Sakura's neck.

When Kakashi removed his hand from Sakura's mark he saw a circle of markings around the curse mark. Sakura's screams stopped and she fell forward, she put her arms in front of herself to prevent from falling on her face. Sakura breathed heavily.

"There, now the next time the curse mark starts acting up the seal should keep it in check." Kakashi explained, but Sakura barely heard him still trying to get over the pain that had just come over her.

"But remember this; this curse sealing jutsu is only as strong as you are. It derives its power from the strength of your will. If you lose faith in yourself, and your will weakens…it can take over." Kakashi explained carefully.

"So it's never truly sealed…?" Sakura asked with difficulty.

"No…the seal just helps you contain it, but in the end it's up to you." He replied noting the disappointment in her voice.

"So you can even use sealing jutsu…mmm, how you've grown Kakashi." Spoke a voice from the darkness and both Kakashi and Sasuke took a fighting stance both moving in front of Sakura.

Sakura watched from the ground as the person stepped closer and saw it was the snake man that had placed the curse mark on her.

"Orochimaru." Kakashi recognized his voice hard.

"Hmm, the girl is still alive." Orochimaru mused out loud looking at Sakura on the ground. "I thought you'd be dead." He smiled.

"What do you want with Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he glared at Orochimaru.

"I want nothing with the girl, she just got in the way, but she'll have to do for now." He spoke and then turned to Sasuke, "The curse mark was for you, but she took that fate as her own and now she'll pay for that with her life." He finished his gaze finally settling on Sakura.

He took a step forward and Kakashi tensed. "If you get any closer to Sakura…you'll have to fight me." Kakashi finished crouching and taking hold of his right hand with his left one and lighting appeared on his right hand.

Orochimaru started laughing, his laughter echoed in the huge empty room and Sasuke shuddered at the sound. "What you did was meaningless she doesn't have the will to contain the mark, she is weak, and the curse will make her crave power. She will seek me out…if she survives." He finished with a chuckled as he saw Sakura's eyes widen.

He then turn to walk away slowly and spoke, "Also, you were going to try and kill me, why don't you try? If you can that is…" He disappeared.

Kakashi deactivated the lighting on his right hand and straightened up. He was stupid to challenge Orochimaru, but he had to protect Sakura or at least try to.

They both turned to Sakura who was losing consciousness yet she tried getting on her feet fighting the urge to close her eyes. As she got up to her feet she closed her eyes and fell backwards, unconscious. Sasuke caught her in his arms before she fell to the ground. He frowned, she pushed herself too far.

"Why was the curse mark meant for me, what does he want with me?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Sakura's unconscious face.

"He is probably after the sharingan." Kakashi simply replied, smiling sadly as he looked over his two students.

"Then why did Sakura get in the way?" Sasuke asked and Kakashi could feel remorse in his voice.

"That's only something she knows…" Kakashi spoke, also wondering why Sakura really did it. Both Sasuke and Kakashi knew there was more to it than she let on.

"She'll be fine, right? Nothing will happen to her?" Sasuke asked and Kakashi could see the desperation in his eyes, he could see how scared he really was for the girl in his arms. Kakashi smiled sadly, this was what it took for him to finally notice her.

"Yeah…" He said knowing it might be a lie, but he hoped she would be alright.

Ino looked over at Shikamaru who sat in a seat aside the bed she laid in. She was glad not to be alone there; Shikamaru looked at her with a sad smile on his lips. He was glad she was alright, glad nothing had happened to her.

The fight between Sakura and Ino had been intense for them both, he could tell. He also knew that Ino felt beaten, she had lost to Sakura.

"I lost…Sakura beat me…" Ino spoke sadly.

"It's alright Ino, it was a close fight." Shikamaru lied; everyone saw that Ino wasn't able to stand up, that the proctor ended the fight because she was a sitting duck.

"Don't lie to me Shikamaru." She spoke looking down at her hands made fist in her lap. "She won, she's stronger than me…and she didn't just win the fight…" Ino trailed off looking at Shikamaru.

"What do you mean?" He asked suddenly confused.

"She won Sasuke too…didn't you see how he rushed to her?" She paused, her eyes looking sad. "I saw how he looked at her…and back in the forest I saw how Sasuke fought for her and then how Sakura defended him…"

Shikamaru could only watch her, not knowing what to say. Ino looked over at him and from the open door to her room she could see Kakashi, Sakura's sensei, carry Sakura; probably to take her to a room to rest. Sasuke followed quickly behind with Sakura's dress over his shoulder. Ino could see the worried expression on his face as he passed.

"I give up on him." She declared and smiled at Shikamaru who couldn't help but smile back.

A/N:

{[revised]}

I know I did some horrible things in this chapter thanks to a reviewer, it was so horrible I had to change it right away. Sakura saying she's in love just like that, because of the things you know for now it doesn't make any sense and since I can't explain some things yet I had to change that and I'll have to take it slower. And of course Sasuke won't change drastically but he will change.

About Sakura's visions you'll have to wait for a few more chapters for a surprise. And remember I'm skipping the fights that's why there was no Naruto in this chapter.

I'm sorry to those I disappointed with how the chapter was previously. Hope you can forgive me. Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. :)

You review and I'll update soon. :)