Chapter 25

Sakura stood in the mind-control wing of the infirmary, a few steps away from the empty doorframe that opened into Sasuke's room. She realised that she was terrified, not of Sasuke, but what if being under Ino's control for so long had completely destroyed any feelings he had ever had for her? The thought made her feel nauseas.

She took a deep breath, silently so that he wouldn't hear her, and willed herself to be brave, for him, before she stepped into the doorframe.

She froze in place, just as she knew she would, when she saw the raven-haired vampire boy, so familiar but also completely unfamiliar at the same time. If her heart was still beating she knew her pulse would have quickened the minute her eyes fell on him.

Sasuke.

He was standing by the window, watching the commotion down at the bottom of the hill in the training grounds below, looking distant.

It's really you, Sakura thought out to him, having to force herself to believe it, suddenly unsure of what to say, the mixture of emotions she was feeling threatening to overwhelm her and she fought to keep upright now that her legs had turned to jelly.

As if sensing her there, Sasuke looked up.

He looked tired. There were dark shadows around his eyes and his coal black hair was untidy.

His dark eyes widened as he angled his body away from the window, a mixture of emotions running through them. "Sakura?" he whispered, sounding almost disbelieving, and Sakura didn't miss the tremor in his voice.

"Who else would it be?" she whispered back, staying in the doorway, hearing him say her name making her stomach flip with delight.

He didn't smile but Sakura could tell that he was taking everything about her in with his eyes, like he hadn't seen her for years. "You don't look like you," he stated, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Sakura looked down at her clothes, the dark leather ripped and torn and bloody from battle up on the surface and brought her hand up to hold it in front of her face, examining it. Porcelain white and slender with long, thin fingers, her skin glowing faintly and translucently.

The vague reflection of her in the mirror beside Sasuke showed long and messy hair, her face was delicate now, but smudged with dirt and blood, her eyes were also lined darkly with shadows, but her eyes were the most different. Sharp and glowing emerald orbs, wise and solemn and the eyes of an adult. She doubted she looked anything like the girl he had last seen in the Council Hall all those weeks ago.

But you look different too, Sasuke, she thought out to him.And he did. There seemed to be a hard, defensive casing around him now, like armour and Sakura hoped, with a sad feeling, that it would eventually come down again slowly over time.

"I haven't had the chance to clean myself up yet," she apologized, pulling the stray strands away from her face. "I know I probably look horrible."

"You always look beautiful," he said, not like it was a compliment, but just as if it were an accepted fact, like the fact that she had pink hair and green eyes, but even so, hearing him say it made her stomach flip again.

"But you look, distant," he said softly, "Like I couldn't touch you." I'm the one that looks distant? She asked, almost wanting to laugh, seeing that it was almost like Sasuke wasn't even completely there at all.

Sakura gained control of her legs again and moved across the room to stand right in front of him. She held out her hand to him, but it was shaking slightly, just enough to be visible. "Touch me," she breathed, and then added self-consciously, "I mean, if you want to."

Wordlessly, he took her hand and laid it against his cheek, his skin felt warm now that her skin was now cold too. He closed his eyes, as if her touch soothed him, before he set her hand back down at her side.

He raised his eyes up to hers, shadowed thickly by his long lashes, making the obsidian appear even darker than it already was. He looked a little less remote now, but maybe she was only imagining it.

"Do you still want me, Sasuke," she whispered, dreading what he might say, feeling as if she might burst into tears if he said no, because if he did, what would everything she had done been for? Ino would have taken the most important thing away from her.

He chuckled and fingered a loose strand of her hair. "You know when I first met you," he said, his eyes studying her hair between his fingers, "I thought you were just a little human. I thought humans were weaker than us."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself so that he could continue. He looked up at her and gave her a strained smile, "But you're not really a human anymore, are you."

"No," she whispered, "Not anymore." He lowered his gaze again.

"But I was so wrong. I learned how brave you are. How kind, smart, humble and compassionate you are," he raised his eyes again, "And looking at you now. I can see how strong you are. But I always knew you were strong."

His voice shook, "I'm so sorry, Sakura." Sakura frowned with concern, her eyes searching him frantically when she saw the first tear fall. "Sasuke," she said worriedly, taking his face in her hands.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything about the Vampire's Blood. I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner," he said softly, but the shaking in his voice was more prominent now. "Ino ordered me to kill you! And God, Ino made me kill the Kazekage, Sakura!" He exclaimed, pulling her hands away from his face, but holding her wrists. "I know you loved him," he whispered, his eyes too bright and filled with remorse and self-loathing.

Sakura pulled her arms free and shook him, "Stop it," she said in a low voice, letting her hands slide down from his shoulders to rest on his chest, her fingers knotting themselves in the fabric of his shirt. "Ino killed the Kazekage, Sasuke."

He inhaled shakily and shook himself. "I know," he said quietly, more to himself than to Sakura and Sakura let her hands fall back to her sides.

"When I was under In-" he stopped himself from saying Ino's name, "her control, it was like I was dead. It was like she had pulled me out and shoved something else in, like I was forced to watch while she forced me to do those horrible things. But every day, every second I was with her," he paused, looking down at her with dark eyes.

"I thought of you. I could see you clearly, as if you were always there beside me, watching me and wanting me to keep strong and I knew I wanted to live, Sakura, and I wanted it more than I ever wanted anything, if it meant that I could see your face one more time."

Sakura wished she could move, wished that she could reach out and touch him but her arms felt frozen at her sides. Their faces were so close, so close that Sakura could see her reflection in the dark obsidian of his eyes.

"And now I'm looking at you, and you've done all these incredible things," he said softly, his eyes locked onto hers, "And you're asking me if I still want you. As if I could ever stop loving you. As if I could ever give up the one thing that makes me strong."

Sakura could only gape at him. He loves me.

"Sakura," he said, "Since the first time I saw you, I've belonged to you completely."

"I still do," he whispered, "If you want me."

Sakura remained motionless for a moment longer as she took in everything Sasuke had just said to her. Then, suddenly, she caught the front of his shirt and pulled him roughly toward her. His wound his arms around her, almost lifting her off her feet, and then he was kissing her, or Sakura was kissing him. She wasn't sure but she couldn't have cared less.

The feel of his mouth on hers after so long was electric and her hands gripped his arms, pulling him hard against her. The feel of him holding her again made her dizzy with joy.

He let her go at last and held her face gently in his hands, tracing the curve of her cheekbones with his fingers.

"I've missed you so much, Sasuke," Sakura whispered breathlessly, and he smiled, the first genuine smile he had seen from him in a long time before her pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair, and Sakura smiled, her head resting against his chest as they held each other. Finally together again after so long.

She inhaled, breathing in his scent, now familiar again, feeling comforted by it and triumphant that Ino had never truly taken Sasuke from her.

"I love you, Sakura," he whispered and Sakura's smile grew even wider.

"I love you too, Sasuke."

You finally came back to me.

xxxxxxx

"Sasuke!" Tenten shrieked, throwing herself at him and hugging him tightly before she whacked him sharply over the head with the back of her hand, leaving him stunned. "It took you long enough, asshole," she hissed but her eyes sparked with mischief and she grinned toothily at him before skipping back to Neji's side.

Everyone had cleaned themselves up since returning from the surface and it would be a few hours before the Council was called in to meeting.

Naruto looked him over curiously, standing beside Hinata who smiled shyly, and Sasuke did the same, equally curious having never seen a Druid before.

"It was about time Sakura finally brought you back over to our side," the blonde grinned and Sasuke replied with an amused, "Hn."

"Um, Sasuke?"

Every turned toward the source of the voice and froze, holding their breath when Karin took a few nervous steps forward.

The look on Sasuke's face was calculating and Karin nervously adjusted her glasses before taking a deep breath. "I'm just going to come right out with it okay?" Sasuke nodded and Karin took another deep breath.

"I'm so, so sorry, Sasuke," she said quickly, wringing her hands, "I don't really know what else to say now though, and I don't really think it would be appropriate to repeat what I already said befor-"

"Enough, Karin," Sasuke stopped her and she fell silent and looked up at him with large eyes.

"I already forgave you," Sasuke told her gently and her worried face lit up brightly as she smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you for understanding."

Sasuke probably understands your situation better than anyone else, Sakura thought, watching as Sasuke was reunited with his old friends after being away from them for so long.

xxxxxxx

"Did the Yamanaka child send you?" Mei asked in a low voice, her sharp green eyes locked onto Itachi's obsidian ones.

"No," Itachi replied flatly and Mei snarled warningly at his bland answer. "Then what are you doing here?" She demanded icily, gesturing at the rest of the Akatsuki watching her wearily from behind him, before Tsunade raised her hand. "Enough, Mei."

The Mizukage turned to the Hokage with disbelief, but fell silent, choosing to glare at the Akatsuki members instead who each met her furious gaze calmly.

"Itachi Uchiha has been leading the Akatsuki in a deep undercover mission for the Leaf," Tsunade explained hastily, and the figures behind Itachi nodded. "Acting as a double-agent."

Mei growled, still unconvinced and Tsunade rolled her eyes at her friend's stubbornness.

"They were to act as the enemy, gain the enemy's trust, feed us Intel, so that when the time came, the enemy would be vulnerable." Tsunade paused and looked at Mei so seriously that the Mizukage knew her friend wasn't lying.

"But I never knew the war would become this serious," Tsunade said quietly, "Or that it would take this long."

"I was the only one that knew about this," she concluded and Mei narrowed her eyes as she examined the pretty figures in black cloaks with distrust.

"There's one of you missing," she stated, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes further. "Where is the blonde one?"

"Deidara works independently. He sides with the enemy," Itachi answered, "He does not know we are here."

"Well that explains everything," Mei snorted and Tsunade sighed wearily at her friend before turning to Itachi.

"What do you have to report?" She asked seriously and Itachi handed her a folded piece of paper. "Ino Yamanaka has handed the control of her forces over to me. The paper depicts were I will position them before you send your own forces to attack."

"The Yamanaka child has already predicted that we will attack?" Mei demanded and Itachi nodded.

"Thank you, Itachi." Tsunade examined the paper once before hiding it away in one of her sleeves, "You will be here for the Council later."

"Hn," Itachi nodded. "I look forward to seeing Sakura Haruno again."