PART TWO
They were overjoyed to see her, the ragtag band of loyalists. Sakura was reunited with her friends, with Ino, who sobbingly embraced her, with Shikamaru and Kiba and the rest. Kakashi smiling proudly at her, and King Gaara and his siblings from the kingdom of Suna welcomed her happily. Tsunade shoved her way to the middle of the group, blonde hair flying, eyes wide. "MOVE!" she bellowed, and Sakura barely had time to lift her head before she was pulled into a hug so tight, she thought her ribs might bruise.
"Auntie!" she exclaimed, in a mixture of joy and sorrow, because this eccentric, powerful woman was her only surviving relative. Tears leaked from her eyes as she clung almost desperately to Tsunade, and when she felt moisture gathering on the shoulder of her cloak, she knew Tsunade was crying as well.
"Oi, baachan, Sakura-chan's hurt!" Naruto yelled, effectively shattering the touching moment between aunt and niece. "I didn't mean to, I got her on the arm with my arrow."
"WHAT?" Tsunade thundered, pulling back to examine the shallow cut on Sakura's arm.
"It's nothing," Sakura insisted quickly. She recognized the storm brewing in Tsunade's furious eyes, and knew she had to cut it off immediately, before it erupted into a full-scale tornado of rage. "I was riding with my hood up, Auntie, and he mistook me for an Oto scout."
"Come with me," she said sharply, grabbing her beloved niece by the unwounded arm. "Let's get you cleaned up. We will discuss our next move this afternoon...in the meantime, you stupid monkey," she added to Naruto, who looked terrified, "I will think of a suitable punishment for the little fool who attacks his queen!"
xoxoxo
Sasuke rode back to occupied Konoha with haste. He would need to make this next part convincing.
Sakura's quick thinking during her captivity led Orochimaru to believe that there were traitors inside his walls. Sasuke's plan was to continue with that line of thought, incriminating various members of Orochimaru's household with false evidence. That way, not only would Orochimaru be consumed with suspicion for his loyal supporters, he could also implicate his highest ranking soldiers while avoiding suspicion himself.
He was admitted back into the palace instantly with little more than an intimidating glare towards the interim captain of the guards, a beastly-looking man named Udon. Apparently, Suigetsu was indisposed, and part of him was bitterly grateful; Sasuke did not forget what Suigetsu aimed to do the night before with Sakura. He should consider himself lucky that he was dealing only with Orochimaru's wrath, instead of Sasuke's.
He reached the throne room and addressed Orochimaru. "Report."
"Bad news, isn't it, Sasuke-kun?" the king surmised with a raised eyebrow.
"She got away," Sasuke said, managing to sound angry about it instead of relieved. "She was helped."
"By whom?" Orochimaru demanded. "There are none loyal to sweet Sakura-chan, none that have not already been done away with..."
Sasuke thought of the rapidly-growing band of revolutionaries and begged to differ.
"Who helped her? There's no way she could have escaped without the assistance of someone very powerful..."
"I killed them," Sasuke revealed. He then named the scouts he'd mercilessly slaughtered, and Orochimaru's eyes were wide. "They were taking her North." Another lie. "I managed to kill them, but she'd disappeared into the forest."
"Resourceful little thing," Orochimaru murmured, stroking his chin in thought. "The forest is so thick and dense that she would be most difficult to track down, even by you, Sasuke-kun."
"Doesn't make a difference," Sasuke replied, his voice cool and collected. "She won't last more than three days in the forest. And like you said...everyone who might help her is dead or in prison."
"So you would have me abandon my search for her."
"Tch. I don't care. Just seems like a waste of time, since all you're gonna find of her is her corpse. She was unarmed when I lost her."
Orochimaru chuckled and sat back down on his stolen throne. "Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun. In the end, you've so very much to learn from your old master. I want Sakura-chan alive. You see, dead to me, especially when it is not by my hand, she can continue to serve as the spark, the catalyst to a rebellion great enough to challenge my reign. In life or in death, if she is not controlled, she represents the so-called Will of Fire these Konohans set such store by. Do you understand?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"You've already got control of her kingdom," he muttered disinterestedly, all the way cataloguing this entire conversation, to communicate to the rebels later on. "Anyone loyal to her's dead or in jail. You commandeered the entire economy and the city's in lockdown. Wasting anymore time on her is-"
"You will bring her to me alive, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru interrupted. "She is my prisoner and will remain so, until I choose to snap her pretty neck." Sasuke inwardly seethed, but betrayed no outward reaction. "We have any risks for rebellion under control for now, but should Sakura-chan find someone willing to restore her to the throne? Let's just say I will not be so merciful with her as I was the first time.
"Bring her to me, Sasuke-kun. You have three days. Prepare a retrieval team if you wish...I want her alive."
Sasuke weighed his options.
Like hell would he return Sakura to this palace until she was ready to take back her rightful throne. But three days gave him plenty of time to strategize with the rebels, before coming back here to gather more intel. Besides, he needed to be certain that Sakura had reached the rebel camp safely.
"Tch," he scoffed, like it was the biggest inconvenience in the world. "I don't need a retrieval team. I'll bring her back. Or whatever's left of her."
With that, he turned his back on Orochimaru, but was stopped by his former master clearing his throat.
"I rather require her presence at an execution."
Sasuke raised his eyebrows.
"I thought you wanted her alive," he said, his heart racing; had Orochimaru decided to kill Sakura? Eliminate one of the last claimants to the throne?
Orochimaru chuckled. "I do. I want her alive to witness the execution of her friend...a woman named Hyuuga Tenten."
Sasuke did not allow a flicker of recognition to cross his face. Inside, he was sick. He knows she married Hyuuga Neji, he thought. And he knows she's friends with Sakura.
"She was caught en route to the palace dungeons during Sakura-chan's brief imprisonment there," Orochimaru continued conversationally, tapping his fingers on the cedar armrest. "Presumably, to feed our slippery little prisoner. During interrogation, she revealed her name to be Hyuuga Tenten, the wife of Clan Head Neji, who vanished during the occupation."
What else? thought Sasuke, almost panicking. What else did she say?
Had interrogation compelled Tenten to divulge the existence of the rebellion?
"Forgive me, I should have said 'widow' of Hyuuga Neji. Regrettably, she claims, he was killed attempting to flee the city the night of the invasion."
The fear in Sasuke's heart abated slightly, but only slightly. There was no telling anymore how much Orochimaru knew.
xoxoxo
Clouds had gathered above the thick canopy of trees, when Sakura emerged from her bath in the river, looking clean and a thousand times better. Her wound was patched up effortlessly, and dressed in one of Ino's borrowed dresses, she looked more like a princess than she'd felt in weeks.
Tsunade saw her approaching and smiled.
"I'm certain you have a thousand questions," she said, stroking her niece's damp pink hair fondly.
"More like a million," Sakura replied.
"Come." Tsunade gestured to her tent, the largest of all the ones gathered in the makeshift camp. "What I have to tell you, and what you have to tell me, is private, for now. You've been through a lot."
Sakura nodded gratefully and followed her aunt into the tent. It was sparsely furnished, with a sleeping roll in the corner, along with a rickety wooden table upon which rested charts and maps and complex diagrams drawn by shaky hands.
"The beginnings of a revolution are small," Tsunade said with a grin, in regards to the dilapidated living space.
Sakura reached for one of the maps, and raised her eyebrows. "Is this..."
"...the southeast trade route into and out of Oto," Tsunade replied. "The rest are the same, from all directions."
"Then..."
"Not the most original of ideas, considering we stole it from Orochimaru himself." Tsunade looked pleased with herself. "But to take back what is ours..."
"You're going to invade Oto?" Sakura gasped.
"Indeed. We will choke off their resources until he is forced to surrender Konoha."
"It will never work," Sakura said automatically.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her niece.
"Assuming we had the capability to invade Oto," Sakura continued doubtfully, "Orochimaru would not loosen his hold on Konoha. He is not the type to be swayed by loyalties; that he is king of Oto means as little to him as our people do. He will leave Oto to burn. On top of that, he will increase hostilities against the survivors back in Konoha, perhaps kill them all in retribution. This is not a game we can play with Orochimaru, he is too ruthless."
"You're as clever as you always were, little one, but you underestimate your own rebellion. And how could you not, when you know so little about it!"
"Then enlighten me." Despite her happiness at seeing her beloved aunt again, Sakura was growing restless and increasingly frustrated. She was embarrassingly ignorant about the very revolution she was supposed to be leading, and she hated being left in the dark.
"We have spies in the palace, behind the walls of Konoha, feeding us information. We have the entire nation of Suna rallying in support of the Konoha loyalists. And let us not forget the fact that we are not the only kingdom to suffer Orochimaru's wrath; he has made many, many enemies in the other kingdoms that, we are hoping, will lend us a hand in eradicating him once and for all. Orochimaru's forces are great in number, but what we lack in size, we make up for in skill.
"Don't forget: we have a very, very powerful ally in Uchiha Sasuke." At the mention of his name, Sakura flinched, her focus suddenly elsewhere. "Do not underestimate his importance here, Sakura. He knows Orochimaru better than even I, his childhood friend, could ever hope to. How else do you think he kept you safe these past few weeks?"
Sakura said nothing.
"You cannot imagine how difficult it was for him," Tsunade said softly, "keeping up his facades. The auction, especially."
"He told me about his family," Sakura whispered. She looked up at Tsunade with eyes full of tears, and even though she was supposed to be acting general of a powerful revolutionary army, she felt like a little girl in a dress that was too big, playing a game that was too difficult for her to learn. "Auntie...please tell me you didn't know. Please tell me you weren't involved."
"I learned much later," Tsunade said regretfully, her tone heavy, and Sakura was relieved. "Had I known...I would have done everything in my power to convince your parents otherwise. The Uchiha were planning a coup, but the order of execution came before the matter could be settled diplomatically."
"They ordered Itachi to do it," Sakura said sorrowfully. "My own parents...they had him kill his entire family! But whatever happened to Itachi?"
Tsunade sighed. "The rumors say he was hunted down and slain by Sasuke."
Sakura gasped. "He didn't tell me that!"
"They are only rumors, Sakura. Do not lose your head. If Sasuke did not tell you what happened, he must have had a very important reason."
"How am I to trust him, then?" Sakura demanded angrily, her hands clenched into fists. "Every mystery solved gives birth to ten more, and every time I think I might have a grasp on what's happening..."
"Itachi's exact whereabouts are currently unknown, if he is living. Sasuke's mission is what's keeping this rebellion afloat...he guaranteed your survival, if not your overall safety, while at the palace, and saw to it that you were delivered to us. I trust him," Tsunade finished simply, and Sakura knew her aunt would not say something so lightly. "And you should as well."
Sakura was grateful to Sasuke; he saved her, made sure she found her way to the rebel camp, protected her at great personal risk. But if he kept these secrets from her...
What else was he hiding?
"Excuse me, Your Highnesses," a voice called from outside.
"Enter," called Tsunade, without taking her eyes off Sakura's conflicted face.
It was Shikaku. He bowed quickly to both the princess and her dowager aunt before saying, "Report: Uchiha has reached camp."
Sakura's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet, along with Tsunade, who looked alarmed.
"Already? He was to remain at the palace to gain intel...why is he here so soon?"
Both women followed Shikaku through the cluster of tents to the fireside, where everyone was gathered around Sasuke, demanding news from the palace. Neji, especially, looked distressed as he pressed for information on his pregnant wife Tenten, whom Sakura suddenly realized was not present among the camp.
She must still be at the palace! she thought, worriedly. She hadn't seen her friend since her incarceration in the dungeons. Had she been caught sneaking food to Orochimaru's spoil of war?
Sasuke stood in the middle looking irritated, but when he saw her, his expression softened almost in relief, perhaps to match her own.
He was alive.
"Uchiha," thundered Tsunade. "What are you doing here so soon? Your orders were to remain at the palace."
"I was sent to recapture her," Sasuke replied, pointing to Sakura, who felt something of a thrill when Sasuke's eyes snapped to her face. She blushed. "I was given three days to bring her alive, back to the palace."
"Like hell that's happening!" laughed Naruto, and even Sasuke smirked, but Tsunade did not look amused.
"I see. And what will you tell Orochimaru in three days' time, when you return to the palace empty-handed? His main motivation is to capture and control Sakura to destroy the morale of any possible loyalists. If you do not return her to him, his retribution will be swift and severe."
"I have no intention of taking her back to Orochimaru," Sasuke said sharply, his tone almost severe. "I am going to stage her death instead...I will have him believe that she is dead to throw him off her scent."
"Good idea, Uchiha!" Kiba piped up. "Just like he thinks the old lady," meaning Tsunade, "is dead! She'll be safe, then!"
Sakura, however, spotted a million holes in this plan, but she was so happy to see Sasuke alive and well that she decided not to voice them. Instead, she cleared her throat, and everyone fell silent.
"I would like to speak with you, if you don't mind," she said to Sasuke softly, politely, but there was the underlying hint of authority that would make her an excellent queen. "Alone."
His eyes searched her face almost suspiciously, but he recognized an order when he heard one. And even if he reviled authority, Sasuke also respected it. From the right people, of course.
"Yes, Princess," he muttered, and he followed her past the others, through the underbrush to Tsunade's empty tent. Once they were alone, Sakura shut the flap and looked up at him expectantly.
"Sasuke...where is Tenten?"
xoxoxo
Sasuke regarded Sakura, who was clean and dressed in a light cotton gown that looked to be too big for her tiny frame; she was looking up at him expectantly through stormy green eyes, and her long pink hair was curly as it tumbled down her back in thick, shiny waves. Despite the urgency in her expression, he could not deny how beautiful he found her to be.
"I know you know," Sakura said sharply. "Tell me the truth. She's been arrested, hasn't she."
He hesitated before replying. "Aa."
"She was caught, then," Sakura whispered. "She brought me food when I was in prison...I knew it, I knew she would be caught, this is all my fault! What does Orochimaru plan to do with her?"
There was no point in lying.
"He's going to execute her. Three days' time."
Sakura's eyes were wide and she clapped her hands to her mouth in horror.
"He wants you there for it," Sasuke muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against one of the wooden beams keeping the tent standing. "As a punishment for escaping."
"Then I'll go," Sakura said immediately, and Sasuke snorted derisively with a shake of his head.
"Not happening," he said coolly. There was less chance of Orochimaru peacefully surrendering the kingdom of Konoha than there was of Sakura returning.
"Sasuke-"
"Don't be stupid. You're not going back there. I'll go. With Hyuuga."
"You just made it here!" Sakura hissed angrily. "You're supposed to be hunting me down, what could your excuse be, should Orochimaru see you in Konoha trying to free someone on death row?"
"He won't see me," scoffed Sasuke, rolling his eyes. Sakura, for all her grace and beauty and bravery, was as stubborn as she always was, and twice as annoying. "But your hair sticks out like a sore thumb."
She bristled angrily at his slight, and he was almost amused. Some things never changed, including Sakura's eternal stress over her unique hair.
Just having her here with him relaxed him marginally. She was safe for now, and healthy enough to pick arguments with him and stress him out, which was a good sign. After so many days in the palace, full of anxiety on her behalf, it was refreshing to see her here, unharmed and surrounded by hundreds of people who would sooner die than see her hurt.
"You're tired," Sakura observed, jerking him out of his thoughts. She looked up at him searchingly, and noted the dark circles under his eyes that betrayed his exhaustion. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"
He rolled his eyes and didn't answer. Of course he hadn't slept. He was guarding the most infuriating, most important person in the world, after all.
"Lay down," she ordered.
"Quit bossing me around," he snapped.
"I gave you a promotion this morning, didn't I, Captain Uchiha?" Sasuke's shoulders stiffened when he caught the coy smirk on her face, the way she batted her eyelashes in would-be innocence. She was teasing him. The back of his neck heated up almost immediately. "Don't you think you should show some gratitude?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he bent down to stare directly into her eyes, and he was pleased to see the way her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of scarlet.
"You're even more annoying now than you used to be," he informed her softly, smirking as her eyes narrowed in dislike, and he made for the bedroll she was directing him to.
"Oh, um, Sasuke..."
He turned back around, and saw that her irritated expression was replaced with one of awkwardness. She looked up at him shyly, before she smiled and whispered, "I'm glad you made it back here safely."
Sasuke couldn't think, not when she looked so lovely, that happy little smile tilting her pretty pink lips and her expression fond as she went to leave. "I'll wake you in a few hours," she told him on the way out. "We have much to discuss."
Sasuke didn't answer, and she disappeared.
He could ignore the nagging of his exhaustion no longer, and no sooner had he rested his head on the pillow had he fallen asleep.
xoxoxo
Sakura, content that Sasuke was safe in slumber, headed immediately for the horses.
This was suicide, yes. She was endangering not only herself, but the very existence of the rebellion.
But she had faced Orochimaru's torture once before, and she could do so again, without divulging the secrets of the revolution. In fact, under some of the severest methods his minions could inflict, she'd managed to lay a dozen false trails for Orochimaru that he'd blindly trusted, thinking that the threat of a little pain could compel her to betray the ones she loved most.
Sasuke would be furious, she knew. After all he'd risked to bring her to the camp safely...
But Sakura's resolve was steel.
She would not allow Tenten to die on her behalf. The woman was pregnant, married, and one of Sakura's closest friends. She had buried enough of her loved ones this year.
She selected Sasuke's horse, the darker, faster stallion, and mounted it easily. But not before grabbing a quiver of arrows from the armory tent, and a sleek bow she fitted neatly to the cloak on her back.
She was going to save her friend.
Or she was going to die trying.
xoxoxo
note.. Only reason I'm here updating everything and not partying with my friends is because I HAVE THE PLAGUE. Actually just really bad sunburn. But REGARDLESS. Here you are.
I'd show y'alls my bitchingass wedding dress but links don't work. So just picture the most beautiful dress in existence. And it comes kind of close. ONE MORE WEEK BEFORE I BECOME MY FLY-ASS (someday) LAWYER'S BITCH WIFE HOLLAAAAA. Doctor and lawyer. MAKIN DAT BANK. Hire me! Love you.
xo Dr. Mrs. Daisy.