Sakura did a perfect backspring, arching her back before landing on her two feet and digging her nails inside the mud, hissing and growling as she spit out blood and laughed, her hair plastered to her skull as she leapt to the air, doing a perfect split before throwing her axe in the air-aiming for her neck. But Tsunade was faster, more experienced and had survived through the wars, seeing guts and blood spill first-hand.
"Die bitch!" Sakura hollered, grinning like a maniac as her eyes turned a sapphire hue, but a shade three times darker as she lunged in for another attack. Tsuande hissed and dodged, the sake bottle slipping from her fingers and crashed to the ground, mingling with the mud and rain to create a disgusting smell that lingered in the air. Tsunade wrinkled her nose in disgust, before plunging her fist to the ground causing it to rapture.
Sakura always took out her anger on sparring with people, and after the look of horror on Neji's face as she approached him and when the rain came gushing down violently as if her mere prescence hated her, Sakura wanted to release her anger, release the pain inside her heart and kill. The demon laughed within her as she leapt from the dust, axe in hand and her shimmering eyes glowing agaisnt the sun's rays. Tsuande swore under her breath and took a couple of steps back, wondering why the usually calm pink-haired ninja had decided to attack her two hours ago.
Tsunade dodged her attack, but Sakura turned around sharply, grabbed her neck and flung her across the training grounds. Sakura howled and raised her axe, releasing an inhuman, demonic battle cry before lunging in, her fingers gripping the axe so hard a trail of blood ran down her palms. Tsuande's eyes widened with horror, and just when she was about to dodge the attack, Sakura froze midway and her eyes widened, returning back to green before the axe slipped from her fingers and landed on the rough ground. She collapsed on her knees, and sobbed, releasing the concealing jutsu so her Yin seal shimmered agaisnt the sun, for the whole world to see. Tsuande gasped and crawled forward, her eyes wide with awe and suspicion as she realized a young girl had the Yin seal, a powerful purple diamond on her forehead where she gathers chakra.
"...how?" Tsuande asked breathlessly, touching the Yin seal on her forehead. Sakura tensed, but relaxed after a couple of seconds when Tsuande drew her hand back, noticing the girl's discomfort. Sakura didn't answer, instead she wiped the blood from her palms to her pants and hugged her knees, burying her head inside. She had wanted, out of desperation and frustration, to discover the wise person-the person who survived through many, many wars, the person who knew death like a best friend and had experienced so many things, so many that they weren't going to be surprised.
...Don't tell her...
Sakura wanted to pour her heart out, to trust this women who she thought was the wise person she imagined, and to be comforted by her worries and stress. It was so hard, being disgusted and being viewed as a monster from the people who you wanted to protect, yet somehow she had gone through it without killing herself,
though she had tried on numerous occasions only to be laughed at the demon, saying that she was immortal. Sakura shivered, her clothes torn and her appearance dishevelled as she bowed down, her forehead touching the ground.
"I'm so sorry, I'm just really...stressed" Sakura whispered, knowing it was a pathetic lie. Tsuande rose a brow, but did not question no further as she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. The young girl's actions had scared and interested her, she was frightened that Sakura would release her anger on civillians and fight young children, but also interested that her eye technique-a technique that was extinct for a billion years now-had appeared in her very eyes, and she wondered what else the girl's secrets were since she had a Yin seal as well. Sakura realized her mortified expression and released a bitter laugh, snapping Tsunade back to life.
"I'm a monster, aren't I?" Sakura whispered before standing up, dragging the axe agaisnt the rough ground roughly as she walked away. Tsunade closed her eyes breifly, and a picture of a young girl, with eyes as dark as the deep, deep ocean and a cane above her head appeared, with a one-eyed monster behind her, releasing a demonic laughter with a bright, red moon above.
Tsuande shivered, feeling frightened and frail.
Naruto woke up, to see a fully awake Sasuke, who drummed his fingers impatiently agaisnt the bed, the metal buckles around his body grinding agaisnt his flesh. The door creaked open, and in came a messy looking Sakura, who smiled weakly at Sasuke and Naruto before collapsing on the ground. Naruto gasped and held her limp body in his arms, and struggled to place her in the bed as he threw the covers around her frail body. Naruto eyed the ugly wounds and shuddered, seeing Sasuke gaze at the pink-haired ninja who looked barely alive as her eyes glared daggers at the ceiling, feeling self disgust swallow her whole.
"I'm so sorry" she whispered in a raspy, throaty voice as tears ran down her cheeks. Sasuke exhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he wondered why Sakura was saying this. He threw his head back in annoyance, biting his bottom lip while Naruto slowly sat on his bed, wincing in pain as he stretched his muscles. Sakura watched the blanket around her be soaked in blood, mud, tears and sweat and sighed, not flinching once when the doors slammed open.
Everything else was a blur of white and blood.
In the next 72 hours she found herself inside a dim room, gigantic metal buckles around her body with chains and seals, holding her down on the rough ground as she grinded her teeth agaisnt eachother. So this was payback for fighting the Hokage, Sakura thought bitterly as she realized she had gone through 3 days without food or water, her chakra levels were dangerously low and her wounds were left open and ugly, ready to catch any infection. But she didn't care, she never cared and she even knew that her comrades were in a better state than her, she couldn't help but wonder if they were truly alright.
Sakura clenched her fist, feeling the cold metal rip her flesh and hissed, releasing a cloud of smoke billowing through the air. The buckles had emphasised how thin her wrists and her body was, her hair was plastered to her skull, dark circles were underneath her eyes and there was dried blood on the floor, mud in her hair and sweat trickling down her forehead. The thick metal door slammed open, creating the ground to quiver as a dark shadow came in, followed by Sasuke and Naruto and Kakashi,
whose eyes had grown large at her state.
"SAKURA!" Sasuke and Naruto hollered in unison, immediatly coming down to her side. Sakura breathed heavily, feeling the buckles and chains being released from her body and she lay on the cold floor, tired and hungry. Kakashi was shaking with anger, and Sakura heard his shouts from the corridor as he argued with Ibiki, head of interrogation. Sasuke's shaky hands helped her up, while an angry Naruto fisted his knuckles and wiped the frustrated tears from his eyes. Sakura limped, meet Ibiki's gaze and she gave out a bitter laugh, her bloodless lips moving for the first time over the three days. They stared at her as she laughed, collapsing on her knees as her laughs turned to sobs, and she eventually passed out in Sasuke's arms, whose trembling hands gently wiped away the sweat from her forehead.
The next thing she knew it, Sakura was admitted to the asylum ward for three whole days, constant visits from Tsuande who apoligized to her over and over again and constant visits from her team. It pained all of them to see her to weak and frail, looking so limp and dead in the bed she always was in. But she was discharged nonetheless,
and Sakura was not allowed to take missions for three whole months. She remembered when she stepped inside her apartment, and had wanted to run back to the asylum ward or the hospital, but she restrained herself.
It hurt, it hurt so much.
The pain would throbb in her head countinuesly, the demon would send the worst nightmares and the dark chakra within her would increase a startling rate that she would often fall from the power. It was hard being a monster, harder to accept that you had a background on asylum wards and hospitals and nearly murdering the Hokage. Yet Sasuke and Naruto still cared, and it moved her to tears since she didn't deserve their love, but she hoped it wouldn't end any time soon. But Sakura knew she couldn't keep her hopes up, and as the day slowly turned to dusk and it was the last day of the three months, Sakura was perched on Tsuande's head, her chin raised as she gazed at the beautiful sky.
Sakura closed her eyes, and waited, waited for such a long time before her eyes opened again to reveal startling sapphire blue eyes, that gazed at the sky as she held a hand,
swirling it in patterns before the sky turned a dark mauve. Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with awe while the demon merely chuckled, and she realized that the demon had more secrets than her, and she felt scared and frightened at the same time. Her ankles swayed and she sighed, feeling light headed and dizzy as she lay down on the rough ground,
closing her eyes as she clutched her shirt. A dark shadow stretched across her, and Sakura meet the eyes of Tsuande, who sat next to her as she stared at the scenary in front of her.
"How?" Tsuande whispered, glancing at the sky. Sakura carelessly raised a hand, swirled another pattern and this time, the sky turned a pale lavender tinged with pink and gold. Tsuande gasped in delight, looking amazed as the sky and clouds moved obediantly, as if the pink haired girl alone was making them. Sakura held her breath, before releasing a deep sigh and sat up, her green eyes staring at Tsunade's back. She was so tired, so tired of being alone and afraid yet she could never bring herself to tell the Hokage, who had the power to kill her almost immediatly if she spilled her secrets.
Instead, Sakura stood up, gave the sky one last glance before turning away, her fingers shaking as she touched her tangled hair, which reached her back now. Tsuande closed her eyes, and a soft smile graced her lips as the wind whistled by. Too bad Sakura was going to ruin the mood.
"I'm a monster" Sakura said harshly.
The smile dissappeared, the lines deepened on Tsuande's face as she watched the girl's figure vanish in thin air, a sad look in her eyes as she returned her gaze back to the sky. An incredible girl with amazing talents, what a waste, Tsunade thought bitterly as she lay down, her hair sprawled around her.
"What a waste" she whispered, closing her eyes.
Sasuke wandered around the streets, until he saw Sakura sitting in a dark alleyway, a fallen bin next to her as she slowly faded into the background. But her pink hair and green eyes could never allow her to hide, much to Sakura's despair. Sasuke sat in front of her, staring at her with his dark eyes as he raised a hand to brush away her hair, feeling the sweat run down his fingers. She's in so much pain, Sasuke thought as he clenched his fist, remembering seeing a weak Sakura who was prisoned, and was sent away in an asylum for three days before not allowing to take any missions for three months.
"Sasuke...where's Naruto?" Sakura whispered, her voice thin and weak. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders carelessly, earning a sad look from Sakura who turned away, her hair spilling across her shoulders as she sighed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. Sakura had many restless nights, she was so scared to sleep in case the monster took over her and would send her nightmares,
they were growing worse and worse nowadays. Sasuke saw the expression on Sakura's face and he realized how much she'd age, she looked older now, more bitter and distant-probably from the constant visits at the hospital, 72 hours of torture and three days of the asylum ward. Sasuke shivered as he stared at Sakura's blank expression.
"You are a ghost, Sakura. Almost gone" Sasuke whispered. Sakura meet his gaze, and the weak child in her eyes returned, shivering with cold and poverty. Sasuke placed a hand over her shaky fingers and closed his eyes, feeling the cold skin underneath him warm up immediatly. How stupid of him, leaving Konoha when he knew he could leave a broken Sakura, it pained him how selfish he was, thinking for himself than others because Sakura always thought for other, never herself as if her mere existence was never important.
Sakura shivered, tracing the broken Christmas tree in her hands and gave out a bitter laugh that surprised Sasuke as he gently placed the tree away. But Sakura held it, her fingers digging into the sharp leaves, causing the flesh to open.
"I spent Christmas in an ayslum ward Sasuke, of course I'm a ghost" she gave out a chuckle with her dry lips. Sasuke gave a weary smirk, and Sakura could only give a tired smile back. But their unspokable, shared pain was interrupted when Kakashi appeared in a whirlind of smoke, eyeing his two students with a sad smile. Sakura didn't meet his eyes, instead she stood up and dusted her pants, looking away.
"Hokage needs you, some sort of mission. See you" with that, Kakashi left without a word. Anger bubbled within Sakura as she ran on the rooftops to the Hokage's tower, Sasuke trailing behind her. He shows compassion and amusement towards Sasuke and Naruto, but a stare and a blank expression for me? Sakura thought as her hair whipped across her face harshly, making her tuck it behind her ear. Sasuke jumped, Sakura tripped and she fell down, her eyes glittering-hoping her pain would go away with just one crash-
But it never came. Sasuke held her in his arms, his eyes full of pain and worry as he gently placed her down on the floor. Sakura didn't meet his eyes as they ran back to the Hokage tower, she didn't need too, Sasuke probably saw how suicidal his teammate was, how desperate she was to get rid of herself. But then, I won't be here to protect them, Sakura thought bitterly as she paused in front of the tower, exhaling sharply before improving her posture.
"Your mission is to hand back the scroll to the Land of Waves, start tomorrow. No questions shall be asked, you are dismissed" Tsuande said briskly, an empty sake bottle in her wooden desk. Sakura was glad that the meeting was over, it saved the curious glances from the other ninjas who either eyed her with disgust or fear. She wasn't effected though, she had other people to do that job, she thought dryly as she walked out of the room, her eyes shining with tears as she ran outside. Naruto wasn't there, Naruto hasn't been in here for weeks now, Sakura thought as she increased her speed, until she arrived at the gates.
Naruto and the legendary Sannin walked, their figures barely recognizable because of the distance. Sakura ran, her eyes full of tears as she hugged Naruto from behind, catching him off guard as she buried her face in his neck. Jiraiya eyed the girl and chuckled at Naruto's gentle face as her shoulders started to shake and she released the hug. Naruto spun around, his eyes gentle as she pressed her forehead agaisnt his, their forehead protectors slightly clashing with eachothers.
"You couldn't even say goodbye" Sakura croaked, her shaky fingers fisting his shirt. Naruto didn't reply, instead, he gave her a huge grin and hugged her tightly, his arms warm around her skinny and cold body. Sakura wrapped her arms around him, and he released the embrace and punched his knuckles in the air, laughing as he adjusted the forehead protector.
"I'll come back one day! Stronger, so I can protect you and Sasuke-teme!" Naruto cried. Sakura felt her heart shred to pieces as she remembered Sasuke's words and gave him a smile, tears running down her cheeks as she playfully punched his shoulder. Naruto laughed, ruffling his hair as he leaned forward, indicating for a big kiss. Instead, Sakura flicked her finger on his forehead, and he gave a surprised yell and she giggled.
"I'll give you one when you come back, baka!" Sakura yelled, laughing as her tears were long forgotten. Naruto smiled, glad his best friend had showed a smile and a laugh for god knows how long. Soon, Sakura was left to see Jiraiya and Naruto slowly fade away, Naruto constantly turning around to wave and Jiraiya flashing her an assuring smile. But when they dissappeared, Sakura collapsed on the ground and sobbed, for that vacancy in her heart had expanded a drastic amount, and she clutched her heart while limping back home.
It was hell trying to go back home, with the annoying sneers and taunts that hurt her so much. But it was when Ino had approached her, that she truly knew what the real meaning of pain was. They stood in front of eachother, silently sharing the memories of the chuunin exams and Sakura shuddered, exhaling sharply as she tried to say sorry, but no words came out of her mouth. Ino gave her a blank expression.
"We thought you were dead" Ino sneered, a look of disgust in her face. Sakura stared at her, her green eyes turning a sapphire blue and Ino took a step back, looking scared and frightened. Now she knows what my eyes can do, Sakura thought with a small smile in her face, she will be scared.
"I thought so to. But 72 hours in interrogation with your daddy and three days in the asylum ward really wakes you up" Sakura replied coldly, before walking ahead and barging past her so hard she fell backwards. Sakura gave a satisfied grin as she headed back home, looking triumphant. It was one thing nearly murdering that blonde bimbo, but another whole level of humuliating her and making her fall flat in her face with just one nudge. No wonder she's pathetic, Sakura thought dryly as she entered her empty house, where it was empty and cold, lifeless and hardly lived in.
At least she had a family, Sakura thought as she shut her eyes, falling down on the sofa. There was a soft knock on the door, and Sakura hesitated, before twisting the door knob to see Sasuke's worried and concerned face. Sakura held her breath, wondering what he was doing here and silently let him in. He observed his surrondings, before leaning agaisnt the wall-his gaze on her face, searching for something. Sakura looked away and leaned agaisnt the door, collapsing to the floor and hugging her knees, wishing Naruto was here to wrap his warm arms around him-but it never came, and Sakura knew she should never took Naruto's kindness for granted, because she had been a selfish bitch once, always wishing for something that she already had. How far we've come, she thought as she stared at Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck.
"Why wasn't Naruto...in the meeting?" Sasuke struggled to choose the words. Talking to Sakura was like a bomb mine, if you said something wrong-a bomb would explode and she'd be left, broken-hearted and shattered like glass. He wanted to protect her so much it hurt, because in his eyes she was a frail girl, clinging to her family which was himself and Naruto, the weak girl showing in her eyes-it made him want to protect her, to the point of madness. No wonder he wanted to leave the village, to become stronger but he'd also hesitated because he knew, he knew that if he left he wouldn't be here to protect her and Naruto, and he nearly had truly vanished from her life. It was pathetic really, how he wished to protect her but nearly left.
"His gone...training with Jiraiya-san" Sakura whispered, her wide green eyes meeting his gaze as she slowly stood up and approached him, grabbing his wrists and resting her head on his shoulder. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, feeling the warmth of another physical being swallow him up whole that left him light headed, and he watched as she meet his gaze, chewing her bottom lip. Sakura knew why Naruto had left, for she had heard Jiraiya say something about an organization that was after the tailed beasts. Sakura shuddered, clutching her stomach and Sasuke placed his arms around her, pulling her to an embrace.
"Let's go after him" he whispered. Sakura pulled away, her eyes wide with excitement and fear. She could be there for Naruto without him knowing, she could see his progress and judge Jiraiya's teachings, she could be there to protect him. And Sasuke would be there for her and Naruto, it was perfect, it was just the mission they were assigned to tomorrow. Sasuke saw her pained look and placed a hand over her wrist, catching her attention.
"We can ditch the mission, please-we need to go this midnight" Sasuke said, a hint of desperation in his voice. Sakura reluctantly nodded and gave a weary smile and it was decided, they were to meet in the bench at midnight and go after Naruto together. Sasuke bid her farewell, a smirk on his face and Sakura ran up the stairs, packing a few stuff with shaky hands. Her stomach rumbled, and she placed a hand over it and sighed, knowing she couldn't keep awake with an empty stomach. She could imagine Tsunade's scowl, and Sakura smirked as she ate some left overs downstairs, before changing into a metal fishnet top, black shorts with knee high boots and a red cape over her, tied securely so it would not slip. Sakura's hand would not stop shaking, for she was so excited, so happy that she could follow Naruto and see him grow, for she truly missed him so much, even though it was about three hours ago that he left. Warmth spread through her chest as she imagined the three of them reunited once again. Sakura strapped the axe on her back tightly, not wanting it to fall and create such a destruction.
"Were coming for you Naruto, were coming" Sakura whispered, her eyes shining.
It was a thrilling experience, bunking off a mission and going after Naruto without permission and possibly coming back to the interrogation ward. But Sakura could hardly care, and as she crept slowly into the night, fitting right in with the shadows, she breathed and a cloud formed around her. She paused as she stared at the bench, and painful memories surfaced through her mind when Sasuke left, promising her that he'd come back. He actually did, Sakura thought as she placed a shaky hand on the bench. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe she should never go after Naruto, maybe she should trust Jiraiya-
"It's all in the past, now let's go" Sasuke whispered behind her and Sakura spun around, her eyes wide as she nodded feverishly. They ran in a comfortable silence, but as Sakura exited the Konoha gates, she gazed at the passed out guards. Sasuke grabbed her wrist, told her it was for the best and she could only nod, for words could not come out of her mouth. The demon's chakra stirred with excitement, and she felt sick and light headed and had tugged on Sasuke's sleeve after five hours, with a weak and weary smile.
"Let's rest, were pushing ourselves too far" Sakura said. Sasuke hesitated and glanced at the path, before nodding his head and they soon made camp under the stars and the shady trees, the earth underneath them and memories hung in the air, thick with blood and sweat. Sakura held her breath and couldn't sleep that night, for she was so scared Sasuke would dissappear and leave her, leaving a note saying that it was best he would go alone and that she should go back. But he never did, for he held her hand and told her in a firm voice that they would do this together, and it comforted Sakura so much she fell into a heavy slumber.
But while she slept, the demon was restless, sending her the most frightening nightmares she ever encountered, full of rotting bodies around her and flames burning the flesh, while she stood in the middle of it, grinning like a mad, mad psycho. Sakura abruptly sat up, sweat trickling down her forehead as she scrambled to her feet, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. The damp air felt cool agaisnt her hot skin, and she could only sigh with relief at the feeling.
It was around four am, and the sun was slowly floating to it's rightful place in the sky where it was the colour of pale coral, tinged with gold and lavender. Sakura remembered how she'd change the colour of the sky, how Tsuande had witnessed her undo her concealment jutsu and sat there-her Yin seal glittering agaisnt the sun for all the world to see. She wondered how she was now, and an image of a drunk Tsuande and an annoyed Shizune came to her mind that made her chuckle. The demon's chakra slowly vanished, and as Sakura realized she couldn't go back to sleep anymore, she decided to pack her things up and have a quick bath in the nearest river or lake.
Much to her delight, she encountered a water fall and a lake underneath, and could only strip down and dip inside the refreshingly cool water and swim, feeling the water run down her body as she did so. Sakura plunged underneath, enjoying the silence under the water before breaking the surface and coughing, but a happy smile settled on her features as she swam back to shore, grabbing her extra clothes which consisted of a red shirt and blue pants and left her hair wet, making water run down her back. Sakura stared at her ugly wounds and shuddered, reaching for some bandages inside her bag when she heard a faint rustle of leaves and stopped, alarmed.
Sakura could care less if the nosy intruder had seen her naked, for her worries were on Sasuke and she stood up, a kunai on both of her hands. The bushes, Sakura thought as she eyed the rose bush, slowly approaching it and suddenly, out came a rabbit that ran past her and inside the woods. Sakura laughed at her stupidity and reaction, swung the backpack over her body and ran back to her campsite, where she found an awake Sasuke eating his rice balls.
She sat next to him and took out her own food, which consisted of an apple and two rice balls and began to eat, savouring the taste in her mouth before snatching Sasuke's water bottle and eagerly drinking it. He scowled at her antics, and began packing away, making sure he or Sakura did not leave anything behind before standing up, stretching his tense muscles and watch as Sakura wiped her mouth with her hand and grinned at him, feeling refreshed and clean for the first time.
"Let's go" Sasuke said, earning a nod from his fellow comrade before they quickly headed towards their destination, running in an inhuman speed while everything was a blur. It was not long before Sakura's hair was dry, probably from the speed as she ran but also because of the strong wind that came whistling by. Sakura tightened her red cape as they ran through the thick forests that stank of moss and crushed herbs with woodsmoke, it was a scent that made Sakura dizzy with exhilaration. Suddenly, Sasuke grabbed her wrist and she spun around, giving him a confused look before it was replaced by a blank expression. Three shadows appeared, resembling three young boys who grinned at them-but it didn't worry Sasuke and yet it worried Sakura, because she was afraid that she'd kill the young children and tensed, her hand shaking as she clutched the kunai.
...Children, how delightful! Their flesh is rosy and warm...
Sakura gritted her teeth. No way in hell was she going to kill three children, as if! She calls herself a monster, not a monster who goes that far to eat and kill children. A mental image flickered through her mind and she shuddered, before putting on a blank expression and twirling the kunai at her fingers, her other hand inside her cape that was trembling and shaking. But Sasuke, noting Sakura's broken state, gritted his teeth and lunged forward, swinging his katana over the thin strings that caused the puppets to collapse on the ground and break into pieces. Sakura sighed, but her relief was quickly overcome with self disgust and she realized how weak she truly was, and gripped the kunai hard and turned around, her eyes shining with hatred for her stupid actions.
Sasuke watched as Sakura ran, and he sighed, trailing after her quickly and eventually ran next to her, seeing the determined expression in her face. Her courage was admirable, nearly as amazing as Naruto's but instead of showing it, she hid it away, Sasuke thought as he gave his surrondings a quick glance before turning to face forward. Sakura paused, her eyes wide with excitement as she narrowed her eyes to concentrate. Sasuke could only watch curiously as her eyes turned a sapphire blue and he gasped, taking a step back as Sakura scanned the town and finally, she gave a satisfied grin.
"His here, I can feel his chakra. His staying at a hotel, nearby the hot springs with Jiraiya-sama" Sakura breathed, feeling new found confidence bubbling up her stomach as she thought of Naruto's pleased face and grinned. Sasuke nodded curtly, his thoughst focused on her strange eye technique as Sakura lead him inside the village, telling him to mask his chakra since the great toad Sannin will probably feel it in a flash.
As they walked in an even pace through the bustling streets of the town, Sakura spotted a few brothels and lounges dotted around the area and wrinkled her nose in disgust, knowing perfectly why Jiraiya had chosen to stay here for Naruto's training. How low of him, she thought as she paused suddenly, and stood in front of a pleasent looking hotel with a garden at the front with a marble fountain and the hot springs nearby and gave out a sigh, wondering what kind of luxury it would be to stay here. Sasuke gave her a nod and they both approached the reception area, whilst Sakura's eyes turned a vivid sapphire as she scanned the corridors and hallways until she saw Naruto's room on the third floor, full of messy clothes and his trademark orange jumpsuit and saw the avaliable room next to it.
"Can we book a room on the third floor please?" Sakura asked, knowing that the only room free on that specific floor was the one right next to it. Sasuke gave her a look, but decided to trust his intics on placing his trust on his comrade, who seemed at ease with herself. The man checked the clipboard and nodded, and after Sasuke had assured Sakura he would pay for the room, they both headed upstairs to room 78. Sakura immediatly jumped at the bed next to window and unpacked all her equipment, spreading it across the bed as she carefully polished her kunais and the large axe that was strapped around her back. It was a great relief to have the axe not laying on her back, it gave her endless amount of pain that surged through her bones and weakened her body until they were numb.
Sasuke sighed, dropping the bed as relief had spread through him. They had been sleeping on rough grounds while it had been raining, and sleeping on the wooden, clean floorboards would be luxury for him. But the soft mattress that he sunk into was better, making him go sleepy and numb when Sakura poked his shoulder playfully, her eyes wide with excitement as she ran towards the window, opening it wide enough so cool air came whistling in. Sasuke approached the window and saw the streets of the town full of stalls and laughing people, and it dawned to him that they were in a festival. It was tempting really, being torn between Naruto and a joyous occasion that happened every month. Sakura tugged on his sleeve, giving him a pleading look.
"Come on, Naruto might be there with Jiraiya-sama" Sakura said. Sasuke gave in, and he soon found himself trailing behind Sakura who looked intrigued at the gaming stalls and the sweet food. It struck to Sasuke that he had never seen his female comrade this happy, and he decided to savour the moment because nobody truly knew when Sakura was going to explode into tears and blood-her mood swings was way worse than any other person he ever came across. Suddenly, fireworks sped through the night sky, before shattering and exploding into a colourful display. Sakura was awe struck and she remembered herself and Naruto, hurriedly putting on their shoes as they ran in the busy streets of Konoha, shouting with delight as the fireworks would come and explode.
Naruto, where are you? Sakura thought as she scanned the thick crowd, before returning her gaze to the sky. Another rocket came up and exploded, looking as if a star had fallen and had exploded mid-air, showering the whole world with it's colours, leaving people dazzled and desperate for more. Sasuke admitted he enjoyed the display, it wasn't often he'd find himself standing next to Sakura with a comfortable silence, staring as the fireworks exploded. But the thought of Naruto came to both of their minds, and they quickly went around the festival with no hope or luck.
"I can't sense him, his probably left" Sakura said sadly. Sasuke sighed, and both of them returned back to the hotel to spend the night after a busy day. Sakura felt relief wash through her when she saw her bed, and lay down, staring at the pale azure ceiling before rolling to her side. The window was closed, but Sakura could still see the fireworks exploding, until their colourful rays shimmered the sky and left a trail, before vanishing completely.
It was a perfect moment, Sasuke decided. A beautiful firework display and the noise of Sakura's even breathing calmed his nerves down.
The sun streamed inside the dimly lit room, and Naruto poked a head from his blankets and gave out a loud yawn, swinging his legs to the side as he stretched his tense muslces, grinning. Yesterday had been so cool! he thought excitedly as he remembered yesterday when he perfectly mastered the Rasengan. It will so impress Sakura! And Sasuke-teme's Chidori won't stand a chance, Naruto thought as he entered the bathroom, fresh from his deep slumber.
Though he didn't want to admit it, Naruto had missed his teammates, especially after he and Sakura had retrieved Sasuke (with the help of Kakashi) and almost immediatly, he had to leave the village with Jiraiya. He remembered vividly when he parted with Sakura, and had wished he could at least have said goodbye to Sasuke-but Jiraiya insisted their journey to be top-secret, and was left baffled when Sakura had hugged Naruto from behind, telling him how stupid he was not to even say a goodbye.
But it was for the best, Naruto thought, I could come back stronger than ever and protect Sakura and Sasuke! With that, Naruto wildly punched the air and his fist connected with the bathroom mirror, causing it to shatter. He gulped and nervously wiped the blood in his pants, feeling sheepish and worried on how Jiraiya-sensei was going to react. Jiraiya never told him where they were going, and always seemed elusive these days when he would mysteriously dissappear into those houses full of girls and return back home, tired with exhaustion. Naruto was rather dissapointed at first, but eventually warmed up to Jiraiya who he saw as a father-figure, something he'd wanted for a long time.
He wished Sasuke and Sakura were here to see him develop, Naruto thought as he changed into his orange jumpsuit and came out of the bathroom, to see a fully awake Jiraiya who grinned at him, his wild white hair tangled and messy. Naruto always wondered if Jiraiya took advantage of his speed to change quickly, but his new sensei was too damn lazy to countinue or finish anything that it made Naruto lose his temper. He missed the old Team 7, back when Kakashi was around and they'd taken silly D-Rank missions, but so much had changed after the chuunin exams, that it made their bond weaken just a little bit, and he felt like he was the one to pick up the broken pieces.
"I'll be heading out to do a little...research, you are free to go around the village since it's our last day!" Jiraiya said, before dissappearing quickly. Naruto frowned and complained, thinking how unfair it was that Jiraiya had been slacking off these couple of days. He had hoped Jiraiya would show him another technique, but sadly his new sensei was extremely 'tired' and 'exhausted' after a long day of so-called 'reserach'. It disgusted Naruto to no end on how perverted his new sensei was, and realized with horror that Kakashi was just as bad, always reading those dirty orange novels of his.
I have such bad luck with senseis, Naruto thought as he put on his shoes, feeling lonely without Sakura or Sasuke. He couldn't wait to go back to Konoha, yet he knew deep inside his heart that he'd never be able to see his beloved village for a couple of years, since he had heard Tsuande whisper to Jiraiya right before they left 'a five year training program' under her breath. Five years is such a long time, he thought as he packed up his things so he wouldn't bother to do it later-Sakura would've been downright proud with that, Naruto thought as he grinned. That burning hole inside his heart grew bigger and bigger, and he realized that with time-he'd be used to it all, used to not have Sakura and Sasuke around him, fighting by his side. It pained him that he'd never be there for them for five years and never protect them, and he was worried who his sudden replacement was going to be for those lonely five years.
He could still imagine it when he closed his eyes, Team 7 being together at the ramen shop-and all of that broke into a million pieces when Suna had tried to invade Konoha, he had learnt the Cursed Seal and Sasuke was so close from vanishing from their lives, everything had changed and left all of them bitter and a changed person. But he tried, so desperately tried to keep it together with his optimistic attitude, and sometimes he'd earn a smile from Sakura, or a smirk from Sasuke.
How he missed the old days.
Sakura had realized that she and Sasuke had come all this way for nothing, and she was very, very bitterly dissappointed with it all. She could just imagine the happiness on Ibiki's face when she'd visit the interrogation ward yet again and shivered, hating the cold cells that had broken bones and dried blood smeared across the walls. It was weird how Naruto wanted to protect a village that had such harsh traditions, yet she couldn't blame Tsunade for punishing her and Sasuke since they ditched a mission and went after Naruto without permission. As Sakura gave one final look at the town, her eyes widened and she paused.
That chakra, she thought as her high senses immediatly told whose chakra identification belonged to. Her body was tense, and she saw Sasuke worriedly stand next to her as she swayed to the side, her head throbbing. They're after the Kyuubi...they're after Naruto, Sakura thought as she turned cold and quickly spun around, her eyes turning a sapphire hue. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"They're after him!" Sakura hollered and hastily ran back towards the hotel, chakra pumped in her feet. It had taken a while for Sasuke to catch up, and when he did he felt his chakra weaken a little bit as he stopped Sakura and grabbed her by the shoulders. She fell limp in his grasp and her pallid expression and cold eyes meet his gaze that sent shivers up Sasuke's spine. Sakura let go of his grasp and countinued to run, looking frantic and nervous. Sasuke had no choice but to go after her, he was worried-what had Sakura seen?
Sakura ran inside the hotel, her knees trembling as she quickly ran across the corridor of the second floor, frantic to head for the staircase when Sasuke stopped her, and she screamed with frustration. Naruto was being chased by two criminals who are after him! Sakura thought angrily as she tried to let go of his grasp, but suddenly-the ceiling broke and out came a flying Itachi and Kisame, with Naruto in their hands.
Sasuke's blood ran cold. Sakura stiffened.
"Well, well-if it isn't my foolish little brother, and what's this?" Itachi said darkly, his deep eyes never leaving Sakura and Sasuke's form.
Ohhhh...whoops! Itachi meeets Sasuke, omg, omg, omg! Totally descriptive chapter coming up next xxx