Lost Souls 24
A/N: Sorry it took so long my loyal readers. So much has been happening at once. So here it is the next chapter of Lost Souls. It's almost over.
Sasuke and his brother took Sakura back to a secluded treed area. They were teaching her various forms and uses of the Sharingan. They'd spar and try to use the Sharingan to copy moves from each other but it wasn't working so well. She could only half-ass copy and attack which had blown up in her face a few times. Itachi had stopped and was explaining something to her. Sasuke wasn't listening to what was being said his eyes were straining to the sexy sway of Sakura's hips. The only thing that brought him from his staring was a heavy thump on his head. Rubbing his head he looked up into the tree to see Alexial laying on a wide branch with a grin on her face.
"Stop watching her ass and watch the training session."
"I was…" he started to protest.
"Uh huh," she said playfully. "You're aroused so I know for a fact you weren't paying attention."
She turned her gaze towards the battlefield. He was sure that he was blushing but one thought sobered him up and he decided to voice it.
"Do you think she'll be ready for this Alexial?" Sasuke asked quietly but knew the demoness could hear him.
"She has to be this time around because there isn't any room for second best here."
"You know I hate that saying. We have to survive this."
Alexial just nodded her head.
"Step up her training because I don't think that Orochimaru will wait much longer to allow her to get ready for his arrival."
"He won't believe she'll ever be ready to take him on."
"Let him keep believing that."
"Step up her training now Sasuke. Perfect her use of fire based jutsus."
Sasuke looked up at in her in confusion. Alexial was watching the pair train together.
"Why would she need to know an extensive amount of fire based jutsus?"
"It's necessary for the final moment of the last battle. She developed a technique while you away not long before she got pregnant. Kakashi helped her with it. For it to work she needs a full control of a fire jutsu."
"Hence the reason she knows the dragon flame jutsu?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Yes," Alexial said with a heavy sigh.
"You sound like you don't want her using it."
"It was dubbed a forbidden jutsu by the Hokage after she saw the destructive power of the jutsu."
"And yet Sakura knows it."
"Sakura created the jutsu. She and Kakashi barely survived the creation of the jutsu but they managed to do so."
"How do you know this?"
"I was there. I had to hide somewhere when I was banished from the Akatsuki. I couldn't return to Snow so I hid in a place where I had a favor owed to me by a fire demon."
Sasuke looked up at the tiger demon. She watched Itachi and Sakura. The human form melted into her tiger form. Her tail swished back and forth as she lay stretched out on the branch. He turned his gaze towards the field. Itachi and Sakura were locked in a heated staring contest.
"If she needs to specialize in fire jutsu's why learn to control her Sharingan?"
"That's her personal mission underneath learning fire jutsus. Beside having no control over the Sharingan is dangerous."
He nodded in understanding.
"Hey Sasuke it's your turn," Itachi called to his younger brother.
Sasuke nodded his head and leapt forward to engage in a battle against his lover. The two of them circled each other a smile on both of their faces. Itachi leaned against the tree underneath Alexial's careful eye. Sakura made the first move and tackled Sasuke. The two of them rolled on the ground until she had him pinned to the ground. She smirked down at the youngest Uchiha. He just smirked back and rolled her over and started tickling her. Laughter erupted from the clearing. Itachi was about ready to tell them to get back to training but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Don't Itachi…"
"They need to train not play."
"This is true but there is only so far you can push them before they snap under the pressure. Let them play for a bit. They know a time for seriousness with be soon enough. Just for once let them be children."
Alexial watched the two engage in a game of tag without using chakra. The two of them kept up with the game until they collapsed in a laughing heap on the ground. Sakura lay sprawled out beside her Uchiha lover. Her head was resting on his chest listening to his rapid heart beat. Sasuke leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. Sakura looked toward the sky and noticed that the sun was about ready to set.
"Sasuke," she murmured against his chest.
"Hn?" he asked softly.
"Can we watch the sunset?"
"Aa," he agreed softy.
The two of them rose and leapt into the nearest tree. Sasuke and Sakura sat up in a tree watched the sun set. They just finished a training session on using the Sharingan for the day. Sakura had done fairly well for not using the Sharingan to its fullest abilities before now. Honestly, she was catching on a lot faster than either he or Itachi had hoped, and for that Sasuke was proud of her. If the council wouldn't let him marry her because of her ability to successful use their family's blood limit then there wasn't anything that could. Of course, Sasuke would marry Sakura regardless because he loved her so much, and they deserved this for the hell they've went through in the past. He'd wanted that in the past too but his life with Orochimaru had prevented that and had sent both of them to their graves. He hadn't had enough chakra after his battle with Orochimaru to stand up against the Sound Nins that dared to threaten him. Sakura had been weak from a complicated childbirth, or so he'd been told by Kyouran. Then she went out after Itachi after he'd kidnapped his own nephew, only to run into him fighting against the Sound Nins. He swore to himself that he'd prevent that from happening again. He wanted a chance to raise his children with Sakura. Some deep part of him wanted to grow old and die beside Sakura as it should have been.
Sasuke had his arms around her waist and her head was laid against his shoulder. Itachi and Deidara had their lovers nearby also watching the coming night sky. Sasuke nuzzled Sakura's hair in affection. A feeling of dread washed through them making them tense. She felt it too and tensed in his arms. He tightened his arms around her.
"Sasuke?" Sakura asked softly.
"Something doesn't feel right."
Everyone was staring at Sasuke at that point. The entire group was tense knowing that something was about to happen. Sasuke leapt down from the tree and Sakura followed. The six of them were moving closer in a protective group around Sakura. The unease in the air was getting thicker by the moment. Suddenly the ground began to quake underneath their feet. Sakura didn't even wobble on her feet being used to earthquakes considering she made her fare share of them. The ground burst outwards from underneath their feet. A familiar snake head rose from the disturbed ground. Orochimaru was perched on the snake's back. Someone was with him and they knew for a fact it was a forced guest. When they got closer Sakura gasped knowing who the snake had in his gasp, it was Kaji. She was struggling to get free. Itachi had to grab Koori to keep her from launching herself into a fight she'd never be able to win.
"Let her go Orochimaru!" Sakura shouted.
"How about a trade Sasuke-kun," the snake man hissed. "You're fiancé's life for your own."
Sasuke and Sakura cringed at his offer. Somehow they knew that was going to be the offer. The pair looked at each other exchanging words without having to say a word. The one thing that Sasuke saw predominate in his lovers eyes was the unwillingness to let him go to this molesting snake wannabe, and yet she knew that Kaji was like Sasuke's sister. Sasuke knew exactly what he had to do.
"Sakura I expect to see you to get me back," Sasuke said calmly to his pink haired lover.
"Sasuke," she whimpered softly.
He looked over his shoulder at her, and the infamous Uchiha smirk graced his features. His eyes told her to have faith in him and herself. The wind tossed his locks playfully as he stared lovingly at her.
"I have faith in you."
He turned his gaze towards Orochimaru and his gaze was as icy as a glacier. There was nothing but hatred blazing in his eyes for the snake man. In retrospect Orochimaru had taken everything from him in the end. In some ways it was his own damned fault for following the snake Nin in the first place, but he'd wanted to get stronger to end his brothers life. Irony was a pain in his ass in the end. Itachi hadn't been killed by his hands but by the hands of a ninja lower than Itachi himself and even now that kind of irked him like nothing else. Now Orochimaru was threatening once again something that was his and his alone, and he'd be damned before he let the snake take his precious people away from him again.
"So Sasuke-kun will it be?" he hissed.
"Let her go Orochimaru."
The snake's head came down. Orochimaru shoved Kaji forward as Sasuke took her place. Before Sakura could even move the snake and Sasuke vanished in cloud of smoke. Koori rushed forward to check on his sister. A sigh of relief escaped her when she realized her sister was none the worse for wear. Sakura approached with a blank expression on her face and deadly intent in her step. Kaji avoided Sakura's gaze. Sakura sighed softly trying to calm her hatred and anger that was running none stop through her veins.
"Where's Gaara?" she demanded.
"Gaara?" Kaji asked in confusion.
Of all the things that Sakura could have asked her where Gaara was, wasn't one of them. She wondered were Sakura was going with this.
"Yes, Gaara," she snapped.
"Gaara and I were attacked by Orochimaru and somehow the snake managed to find a way to suppress our demons and attacked us. Gaara suffered the most damage. Thankfully there was a medic Nin nearby that could help Gaara out."
Sakura nodded her head before looking at her lover's brother. They surrounded her as if asking for orders on what to do. For a moment Sakura stood there contemplating what to do next.
"Itachi spread the word quickly among our allies War and Hell are about to break loose."
Her voice was calm and deadly at the same time and it made them wonder where the happy go lucky Sakura went. The older Uchiha knew better than to argue with her so her retreated to the house to do as she told him. He started making calls to their allies and they in turn started spreading the word. Alex, Koori, and Deidara followed the older Uchiha leaving Kaji with Sakura. The other girl felt nervous now around the pink haired ninja knowing that she was responsible for her loosing her lover to that bastard snake man.
"Sakura I…" she started.
"Don't say anything Kaji."
"But Sakura I'm sorry! This is all my fault."
"Don't be sorry Kaji it was inevitable," Sakura said as she face the distraught ninja. "The snake would use anyone against us just to get to Sasuke."
"Why are you so calm about this?" Kaji demanded.
"Because I have to be. Orochimaru wants me to panic because he's not here with me. So I cannot panic this time because I have to have the faith in him and myself that we will meet again just like before."
"What are we going to do now?"
"Get ready for War with the Sound."
Sakura gave Kaji a tired smiled and turned to head back to the house to prepare herself for the war that was about to grace her life. Before she could get two feet 'Enter the Sandman' started ringing from her pocket. Taking it out she answered with a curt hello. She kept her answers down to a yes and no as she talked with the person on the other line. A moment later she hung up. Kaji looked at her curiously.
"Gaara is awake and pissed as all hell."
"He's awake?" Kaji asked hope coloring her voice.
"Yes, start getting ready or War. Gaara's team will meet up with us later."
Sakura went back to her room and sat down sadly on the bed. The sheets were still rumpled and all over the place from where they'd made love last night. Her heart ached as she sat there and absently traced her fingers over and invisible pattern on the cloth. She had to be strong for Sasuke's sake knowing that she had to get to him in time so that Orochimaru couldn't do anything more to him. Her fingers bunched in the sheets of their bed. Flopping backwards she allowed darkness to swamp her vision if only for a short while. She was awakened to the soft knocking on her door.
"It's open," she called as she laid there with her arm draped over her eyes.
She didn't need anyone to tell her who it was, she recognize the chakra signature. The person moved closer to the bed.
"Is there something you need Koori?" she asked
"Yeah I was sent to give you this. Itachi thought it would be a good idea if you bear your new family colors if you wanted to."
Sakura sat up and looked at her curiously. In her hand seemed to be something made of black silk. Koori smiled and handed the shirt to Sakura. It was a kimono top. On the back was bared the Uchiha crest that told anyone that was looking she belonged to the Uchiha clan. Sakura felt the fabric and felt awed by it. Her fingers ran over the clan crest lovingly.
"Don't worry Sakura we'll get him back," Koori swore softly.
"I know we will."
Her eyes trailed back to the silk shirt.
"I'd be afraid to wear this into battle. I wouldn't want to get it dirty or tear it up, and knowing some of the guys on our side that's not something that Sasuke would appreciate."
"I figured as much so here," she handed her a mirrored image outfit to her.
This one was cotton and a little bit thicker than the silk shirt. She recognized it to be a haori. It was black and bore the Uchiha crest too on the back. She smiled as she once again traced the red and white fan.
"You know despite their differences in the past those two are so much alike even though they deny it. Itachi and the rest of us will stop at nothing to get him back."
Sakura nodded her head in understanding. As she still traced the fan affectionately. "You should get some rest Sakura we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
The pink haired ninja nodded her head before placing both shirts carefully on her night stand. Koori whispered her soft good night before leaving the room bathed in darkness. Sakura sighed heavily as she got ready for bed. Laying among the sheets she allowed her tears to fall. She was surrounded by their mingling scents. Even thought she was worried and angry the comforting scent of her lover was wrapped around her and allowed her to sink into the darkness of sleep.