Chapter twenty five
The vampire tracker
As usual on Sunday mornings, Sakura woke up late. The alarm clock on her bedside table said it was ten forty in the morning: a blissful hour to wake up at.
Last night, when she'd finally gotten home and climbed into bed, Sakura had fallen into a – thankfully – dreamless sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. That meant that, even if she'd wanted to stay for the after party, she wouldn't have been able to stay awake, which made her feel a little bit better. It was good to know that she didn't go to parties not precisely because she was a half-breed and had to be extremely careful with not being discovered, but because she was just not the kind of girl that could stay up too late.
When she opened her eyes that day, she felt rested and as good as she hadn't felt in a while. She felt oddly satisfied with her life, even when she was still aware of how crappy it had become. All that positive thinking was probably only caused by the fact that today was her free day and she could rest and do whatever she wanted. Or maybe she was just starting to get used to her new life and learning to see the good, joyful little details in it.
Mumbling a happy song she'd heard in the radio a couple of days ago, Sakura stepped out of her bedroom and headed into the bathroom to take a nice, cold shower to start her day with. It was strange for her to be in such a good mood, but she decided to enjoy it while it lasted.
In the shower, she continued singing all kinds of songs she could remember: from the fast, enthusiastic ones, to the ones with the sad, romantic lyrics. She did it at the top of her lungs, not minding being heard by Shizune, who was probably downstairs, cooking in the kitchen, reading a book in the living room, or outside, watering the plants, since it was also her free day. Beautiful, beautiful Sundays...
It was exactly eleven o'clock when Sakura came back to her bedroom, with her hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around her body. Humming softly, she pulled out comfy clothing from her closet and put it on. Then, she blow-dried her dyed pink hair, which was growing, she noticed; it was about to reach the middle of her back. Also, she could already see her blonde roots; she'd have to dye it again soon.
If she hadn't decided to blow dry her hair, she thought later, none of the things that happened next would have happened the way they did.
She had just finished drying her hair, happy with how straight and soft it ended up, when she realized there was someone else in the room with her. Weirdly, she didn't find it out because she'd seen that someone, but because she'd felt their presence: an unfamiliar, buzzing energy a few feet behind her. She turned to look just to verify her suspicions, really.
A man was standing in the corner of Sakura's pink-walled bedroom, right next to the open window. He was tall and muscular, couldn't be older than forty, and had skin browned by the sun, dark spiky hair and a small cigarette between his thin lips. His small dark eyes were fixed severely on her, patiently watching her reaction. Sakura thought, I'd left that window closed, but he somehow opened and sneaked in through it. I suppose that means I have to secure my house a bit better... and then, she screamed.
The scream didn't last more than two seconds, though. The man moved in a blink of an eye, with an agility she'd never seen before, and clasped a hand over her mouth, muffling any sound that came out of it. She wondered if he moved like that because he was a vampire, but he was close enough for her to realize he was human and to see the panic and desperation in his eyes.
"Shush, girl," he whispered without getting a hold of his cigarette. His breath smelled of tobacco and mint.
Sakura tried to scream some more, but he was doing a good job at silencing her. This is it, she thought miserably as she looked into the man's dark gaze through the tears already filling her eyes. This is the day I die. He's going to rape me, torture me, maybe cut a few of my fingers, and he'll do it so well, so discreetly, that Shizune will find my body in a few hours, when he's already gone, and I'm already dead. She closed her eyes tightly, spilling the tears down her cheeks and on the rough hand covering her mouth, and added, But well, I wasn't really excited about living this crappy life I have, anyway, so maybe he's actually doing me a great favor...
"Listen to me carefully," the man said breathlessly, interrupting her thoughts. His tone alarmed her so much she snapped her eyes open to look at him. His cigarette had dropped to the ground, but he didn't seem to mind. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to warn you. I am a vampire hunter – but no, my intention is not to hunt you. It is supposed to be it, but it's not. I don't want to kill you, girl. Your father used to be my best friend; I would never hurt his daughter. That's why I'm warning you that the other vampire hunters do want to hurt you. They don't care your father used to be one of us, or that he was from one of the most powerful, most ancient vampire hunters' clans in Japan, or that he was such a great person, like I do. The only thing they care about is what you are: a half-breed. They haven't forgotten you, girl. Many years ago they tried to get rid of you, and they thought they'd done it, but now that they've found out you're still alive and your vampire half has awaken, they're going to kill you off for sure this time. You have to be careful, Sakura Haruno. You must stay alive."
Sakura was frozen. All feelings within her had dissipated, leaving behind no more than a dark, heart-sinking dread that twisted her insides painfully. She felt like the blood had suddenly stopped flowing through her veins. Her ears were buzzing and everything around her was spinning lightly: she was about to faint. But she tried her best to stay awake and focus on the anxious face floating in front of her and on the meaning of the words she'd just heard.
Slowly and hesitantly, the man dropped his hand, uncovering her mouth. Sakura didn't make a single sound; she just stood there, still frozen, still in shock, and did nothing but stare at him for a long, long moment, her mind racing.
"Vampire hunters?" was the first thing she could utter. Although it was barely a question, those two simple words expressed all her doubts about what the man had explained. Vampire hunters – they existed? Why hadn't anyone told her before? Why were they hunting her? Were they the ones that wanted to kill her and killed her parents instead? Or did vampires wanted her dead as well? Did everyone wanted her dead? Everyone but her friends and family, and this man, it seemed. This man, her father's old friend, a vampire hunter wanting her to stay alive and be careful...
Was she still asleep and just dreaming?
The man nodded and spoke in a rush, as if he was running out of time. "They want you dead. Half-breeds are not supposed to exist; still, vampire hunters are not supposed to get into that business, because they only kill vampires that break the rules and kill humans. But although you haven't done anything wrong, they want you dead because you're a very rare half-breed. Your parents had a secret not many knew about. There's a reason they decided to have you, and it's a valid reason, I promise. I don't have time to explain, but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. The point is that vampire hunters discovered this secret, found out what makes you so different and dangerous and powerful, and that's why they're looking for you now. They cannot take the risk of having you do what you've come to the world to do."
"What?" she whispered, instinctively taking a step back. The world was spinning faster and faster by each second that ticked by. Her mind was a mess of jumbled thoughts and words, from which rare, parents, secret, valid reason, different, dangerous, powerful and risk stood out like neon signs in a dark road.
The man grasped her shoulders abruptly, digging his fingers into her skin. Sakura flinched, still scared of him, but he was too concentrated on his words to notice or care. "You have a purpose in this world, Sakura," he said. "Everyone does, but yours is one of those big, important ones that gets noticed and that changes many lives. As I said, there's no time to explain, but you have to believe me. You cannot get killed, Sakura. If you die, your parents' deaths will be in vain, and they sacrificed too much to be let down. Do it for them, and for everyone else. You're unique. You have the strength and the tools, and you have to use them in your favor." He dropped his hands to his sides. His gaze softened and saddened, as if looking into her wide, green eyes made him feel nostalgic. "You look so much like them," he said lowly. "I hope you're a bit like them, as well."
And just like that, the man turned and hurried towards the window. Sakura realized he was leaving, and before he possibly disappeared forever form her life, she called out, "Who are you?"
The man paused and looked at her with a small, humorless smirk. "I'm the best vampire tracker in the country, and perhaps also in the world," he replied. "I was ordered to find you, and I did. Of course, I'll do you a favor and keep your location to myself. In return, I want you to give importance to what I told you, be very careful and brave, and start using your power. Don't be an ungrateful brat." Then, he jumped out of the window in one swift, quick movement.
Sakura stood immobile for several minutes, staring at the window. Air blew into the room, making the soft, purple curtains sway and dance like the ones in her first dream, the one about Sasuke, had done. It was sunny outside, a perfect day to be happy, and at first, when she'd woken up, she had been happy. But right now she was just confused and very, very scared.
Ino was hungover. Her head ached and felt like it weighed a ton, her mouth was as dry as a desert, and the dizziness was overwhelming. Also, the lights seemed way too bright and the noises way too loud. It was horrible. She knew she shouldn't have drunk so much last night, but boy, was the alcohol good. Itachi sure knew how to prepare cocktails. Besides, she knew now that drinking with Naruto was the funniest worst idea in the world: the werewolf was so damn hilarious when he was intoxicated that one didn't even notice how many glasses one emptied while listening to his jokes and watching him do stupid things.
Honestly, she didn't regret going to last night's party. It was one of the best nights in her life. She'd laughed until her stomach ached, met many people, and hung out with very old friends. She'd even hooked up with two different guys. Of course, things hadn't gone too far with them, but it had been nice to be free and careless enough to allow herself to get that distracted. It had felt great to be able to have fun like everyone else because she did not have to worry about taking care of Sakura, who had been safely tucked in bed and very far from the craziness of the party at that moment.
Yes, definitely one of the best nights Ino had ever had. That was why the hungover and the speech her father had given her about how irresponsible and immature getting drunk was had been so worth it.
The only bad thing was that now her father was being overly cruel and forcing her to get out of bed and go with him to Sakura's place, when all Ino wanted right now was to rest, drink lots of water and then sleep.
"It's her free day," she argued as they drove to Tsunade's house. "We should let her rest and enjoy her free time, Dad. Why are you so unfair?"
"It's almost midday, already," Inoichi replied. "I'm sure she's already woken up. Besides, it'll only be a couple of hours. I just want to talk to her about her gift. It's time we find out what it is."
"Yeah, but still, we should've come later, don't you think?"
He shook his head. "I'm going to be busy later. It's the perfect time, daughter. Stop whining."
The blonde sighed deeply and stared with annoyance through her window. They were already in Sakura's street. Soon enough, they turned in a corner and a big, two-stored white house with a front yard alive with many plants appeared. Ino's father parked right in front of it, and then they both got off the car.
Only a few moments after they rang the doorbell, Shizune opened the door for them. "Oh, hi! Come on in," the brunette said, smiling widely. They stepped into the house and then followed her towards the living room. Once there, she asked them,"Would you like something to drink?"
"No thank you, Shizune," Inoichi replied as he and his daughter sat on the couch. "We're here to talk to Sakura. There are still a few things we want to discuss with her about her nature."
"Oh, sure. Let me go get her. She's taking a shower, I think."
Just as Shizune turned around to leave, they suddenly heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs. The three of them waited, knowing it was Sakura but wondering why she was in such a hurry, until the pink haired girl appeared in the entrance hall's doorway, panting and with an expression on her face that resembled that of a scared animal running away from its predator.
Ino's heart sank instantly, and she rose to her feet as if she'd been abruptly pulled by someone. There was something wrong, she knew it. Strangely, she thought of the unfamiliar black-haired guy she'd seen her cousin with at the party. Did he have something to do? If so, what?
"Sakura?" Inoichi asked carefully, as if not wanting to freak the girl out any more, slowly standing up as well. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Sakura was not panting from running, Ino realized. She was actually taking quick, deep calming breaths. "I'm not hurt," she replied. The blonde noticed how she didn't specified if she was alright or not.
"Honey, what's happened?" Shizune asked worriedly, slowly stepping towards the shaken girl. "Is everything okay?"
Without a warning, the half-breed started to cry. It caught the three other people in the room completely off guard. They just hadn't expected her to break down in that moment, so suddenly. She seemed anxious, yes, and maybe even frightened – but if there was a reason for her to weep, then everything was worse than anyone could've guessed.
Shizune was the first to react. She hurried towards her adoptive cousin and wrapped her arms around her. Sakura hugged back tightly, clenching the brunette's flannel shirt as if her life depended on it, and sobbed harder. "Shhh," Shizune said softly, rocking the girl back and forth slightly. "It's alright now, Sakura. I'm here. You're safe."
Ino and her father watched the scene from their places, stunned by Sakura's random break down. Both of them were certain something big and bad was coming – they could just sense it, as anyone else would have. They were suddenly afraid, but more for Sakura than for themselves.
Sakura told them about what had happened in her bedroom only a couple of minutes before the fog of daze covering her mind had finally dissipated and she'd sprinted down the stairs like a mad person. She described the man and recalled every single word he had uttered. Surprisingly, she remembered everything very well; the memories were clear enough. It certainly hadn't been a dream – and she admitted that made her unhappy. She would have rather to have a crazy dream than a crazy reality.
When she was done telling all she could tell, there was a long moment of heavy silence before Inoichi sighed tiredly, looking slightly melancholic "I cannot believe this," he said lowly, massaging his left temple. "Haruno... I knew I'd heard that last name before. How could I not remember it?"
"Dad, what do you mean?" Ino asked, alarmed.
He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Oh, God... How could she?"
"Are you talking about my mother?" Sakura questioned. "Do you mean, how could she marry and have a child with a vampire hunter?"
Inoichi nodded."Yes. And also hide it from everyone else for so long. Listen, Sakura, she was my sister and I love her, and I've always known she wasn't perfect, she made mistakes just like me and everyone else, but it's obvious that, if all that man told you is true, she and your father... they were more wrong than anyone ever suspected."
Sakura couldn't deny that, so she nodded, and then said, "I know. I agree. They messed up big time. But... they were in love, weren't they? And, I know it must sound cheesy, but if there was love, then I don't think it was entirely wrong." She wasn't defending her parents; she was just giving her honest, reasonable opinion. "Also," she continued, staring at her lap, "that man, the vampire tracker, remember he said something about my parents having a valid reason to have me? I think there's something none of us knows yet, that can change the way we think about my parents."
"Maybe," Inoichi said. "He also said something about you having a big purpose, correct?"
Sakura nodded. "He said he didn't have time to explain more about it, but he said I would find out soon enough. It seems it's some kind of... power that I have for being a unique half-breed." Suddenly, she realized something and smiled bitterly. "You know? It's funny. I'm not a normal vampire, not a normal human, and not a normal half-breed either. I'm totally different. That's supposed to be kind of cool, right? Well, it isn't... at all."
Shizune, who sat beside her, took her hand and squeezed it. The gesture eased Sakura's emotiones a little. At least I'm not completely alone in this, she thought.
"A power...?" Ino said thoughtfully, and then turned to her father. "Dad, maybe he was talking about her gift."
Inoichi nodded. "We came here exactly to talk about that, your gift," he told Sakura. "As I'm sure Ino already told you, almost all vampires have a gift, some kind of special ability or power. I can force the truth out of people, for example, and Ino can hear things from the future."
"It's really painful to use my gift, though," the blonde said. "Some gifts aren't easy to use, or very helpful, but they're still gifts, and it's always nice to not be gift-less."
"We want to know if you have a gift or not, Sakura," the man continued. "Since you're a half-breed, we're not certain at all. But now, after what's happened and what that vampire tracker told you, we think you do have one – a very powerful and dangerous one. It seems like the vampire hunters know what it is. We should know too."
"I should know too," Sakura said. "Dammit, other people seem to know me better than I know myself."
"You can change that just by trying," Inoichi said. "However, you can do that later. Right now I believe staying in this house is a bad idea."
"What? Why?" Shizune asked concernedly.
"Because even though the tracker assured he wouldn't tell the others about this location, we cannot trust him; we don't even know him. And in case he didn't lie about it, what if they force the truth out of him or saw him head towards this house?"
"You're right," Ino said, standing up from the couch. "We have to leave, and as soon as possible."
"Shizune, you must come with us," Inoichi said, rising to his feet. "It's not safe for you to stay here alone."
"Okay," the brunette said, a bit frightened. "But where are we going?"
"To the safest place I can think of: the Uchiha mansion."
The Uchihas showed more interest than Sakura ever imagined they would. They were worried for her, totally willing to help and perhaps even afraid. They were all afraid, in fact. She wasn't the only one, although her fear was obviously the most intense. It was her life on danger, after all, not theirs.
Even Itachi and Sasuke were there, listening to the adults' conversation. Itachi made a few comments, proposed a couple of ideas, and Sakura was amazed by how practical and smart he was. She didn't know him very well, but he seemed someone very interesting to talk to. It was too bad she was always busy worrying about her safety to take some time to know the people around her better.
Sasuke didn't speak as much as his brother. He just stood there silently, with his arms folded across his chest, and made a question every now and then. Other than that, he just stared at the ground thoughtfully, probably not even paying attention to what the others said most of the time. Sakura found herself glancing at him every five seconds. It was like an impulse, a guilty impulse. She liked seeing him there, not acting disdainful for once and actually caring for her – and the way that made her feel was so, so wrong.
Ino was seated besides Sakura on the small couch in the corner of Fugaku's office while the others stood in a circle in front of the big wooden desk. The blonde patted Sakura's back as if she were sure that made everything a bit less hard for her. The action was kind of bothersome, actually, but the half-breed didn't dare to shake her cousin off. Ino was just trying to be nice and supportive, after all, and she appreciated that a lot.
"She cannot stay here for much longer," Mikoto was saying, grimacing in pain as if the realization made her heart ache. "It's dangerous. They already know she's alive, in this city. It's only a matter of time before they find out more information about her. And when they do, they'll come get her and then-" She cut herself off and shook her head. "We need to send her away, hide her at least until this madness is over or we convince them that she's not alive."
"But where would we send her?" Inoichi asked. "And how? We cannot take her to an airport, because it would be risky if the hunters found out. What if they try to make the plane crash? We would be putting many human lives at risk. Also, which place would be a perfect hiding spot?"
"Anywhere but here," Mikoto replied anxiously. "I don't know, Australia? Europe? Even America! Perhaps Alaska... But you're right, Inoichi. We need to find the perfect place, get a private jet or something of the sort, and be really, really careful. We must keep our guards up all the time."
"I agree in all that," Fugaku said, and then his dark eyes fixed directly on Sakura. "But we're forgetting something: Sakura is the one that will decide what to do in the end. It's her life, her choices. We cannot decide for her. What do you want, Sakura? What do you think about all this?"
Sakura licked her lips, nervous now that everyone, including Sasuke, was looking expectantly at her. No one had paid much attention to her since they arrived. They only listened to her tell them exactly what had happened with the vampire tracker, and then they'd started discussing the situation, leaving her aside. Sakura hadn't minded. She had actually been glad to not have to deal with all that, like a little kid that didn't have to order her own food in a restaurant because her mother spoke to the waitress for her.
But now they wanted to know her opinion. The only problem with that was that she didn't know what to tell them. They wanted to know what she wanted, but all she wanted was to be normal, free, like anyone else, and to not have such a big burden in her life, but that was impossible. Other than that, she she had no idea of what to do with her life. She felt lost, helpless, powerless, and she couldn't come up with any solutions. She was clueless about the situation, even though her life literally depended on it.
"I suppose you're right," she finally answered. "They will find me sooner or later. They might even be on their way right now. Besides, I'm putting you guys in danger being here with you. I have to get away so that no one else gets hurt."
"Sakura, that's not what really matters here," Mikoto said. "We can take care of ourselves. But you... honey, your instincts have barely awoken. You're practically a mere human, since you still don't know how to control your vampire half. The tracker said you were powerful and dangerous, but I can't see how that is possible. A half-breed cannot be stronger than a full vampire; it doesn't make any sense."
"He also said I wasn't a normal half-breed," the pink haired girl murmured.
"Maybe that's true," Itachi told the adults. "If her father really was a vampire hunter, then her human half is scientifically modified and her genes are different from any other being that's ever existed."
Mikoto sighed deeply, staring at the ground sadly. "I still cannot believe he was a vampire hunter... and a Haruno, for God's sake. How did we not recognize the name? We should have!"
"The Haruno vampire hunter clan is very ancient," Inoichi replied, grief and anger clouding his blue gaze. "There are very few members left, and its fame has been left in the past. I know them because I read about them in a book many years ago. My memory didn't recall the information instantly when I first met Sakura's father; although the last name sounded familiar, I couldn't remember where I'd heard it from. Besides, we'd been to busy worrying about the fact that he was a human and my sister was in love with him."
Sakura closed her eyes briefly. She still couldn't believe the magnitude of her parents' foolishness. Being a vampire and in love with a human was a bad thing. Being a vampire about to have a child with a human was a worse thing. But if your human mate was actually a hunter of your kind and you never told anyone, that was even worst.
How could they? How dared they? Sakura felt ashamed of them, and horrified at their mistakes. If only I'd had different, better parents, she thought angrily, none of this would be happening, and I'd be normal... and happy.
They died, abandoned me, made me miserable. And now, years after their deaths, they're still screwing my life up.
She was about to burst out crying, and she didn't want to be seen and pitied any more, so she stood up, covered her mouth to muffle her sobs, and ran out of the room.
Sasuke watched Sakura from the window of his father's office. She was sitting on the bright green grass in the backyard, hugging her knees to her chest, under the warm midday sunlight. Her shoulders shook violently; she was obviously crying, and desperately. For some strange reason, he wished she would stop. It bothered him to see her like that. He wanted her to be okay, smiling like she always did. It annoyed him to know there was nothing he could do to fix her.
"Relax, Ino," Inoichi was telling his daughter, who still sat on the couch looking distressed and anxious. "She just needs some time alone to let it all out."
"I should be with her, comforting her," the blonde said softly. "She needs me."
"There comes a point in which one doesn't need to be comforted, but to be left alone with one's own thoughts," Mikoto mused. "I think Sakura has come to that point already. We must let her be."
For a long moment, everyone in the room remained silent. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable; it was just a space of time to think, wonder and plan.
At last, the silence was broken by Itachi. "So what do we do now? Wait for Sakura to make a decision?"
"I suppose so," Mikoto said worriedly. "But I think that, in spite of what she decides, we should train her so that she won't be so defenseless."
"I think that's a good idea," Inoichi said, nodding. "Before she leaves , if she decides to leave, she has to be capable of fighting and taking care of herself."
Sasuke realized there was nothing else to discuss or know now, so he decided to leave. Wordlessly, he exited the room, closing the door behind him, and then walked quickly up the stairs.
Once in his bedroom, he slumped into his bed, tucked a pillow under his head, and stared at the white, clean ceiling of his room with his eyebrows pulled together, thinking.
Since the first time he met her, when she randomly passed out, he knew Sakura Haruno would be a burden. Sasuke honestly wished she'd never appeared in his life. She'd done nothing but complicate things for his family and, therefore, for him. She had no right to disturb them like that; she was a nobody, not even part of their clan, or even of their kind. She'd just suddenly arrived and started slowly pulling them into the mess her life was. The worst thing was that Sasuke's parents actually allowed the half-breed to do that, and they were willing to put up with all the bother. Why? He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that he was sick of it, and that he wished she would be sent away soon.
However, Sasuke could not deny he felt very sorry for her. It was not her fault to be what she was or to have such a complicated life. He knew she wished to be someone else... or maybe she even wished she would have never been born. In her place, Sasuke would wish that. Living a life like that, always having to watch your back and to put up with discrimination and a dark past, didn't sound appealing or enjoyable at all, after all.
Nobody deserved a life like Sakura's, and it was a real shame, actually, that a girl like her had to go through all that crap. She wasn't a bad person, Sasuke knew. She was clumsy and kind of awkward, yes, but in spite of everything, she was nice, polite, gentle and even pretty. If she weren't so abnormal, he would like her a lot.
Hold on. Did I really just think that?
Sasuke rolled on his side and buried his face into the pillow. Behind his closed eyelids, among that blackness covered with mysterious little dots of light, all he could see was the half-breed's face; her wide forehead, her soft pink hair, her bright green eyes, and her beautiful – yes, he admitted it: it was quite beautiful – smile. He remembered the sweet sound of her voice, the way she licked her lips when she was nervous, the little twitch in her right eye when she was uncomfortable. How could his memories of her be so vivid and clear? Had he been paying more attention than he'd thought he paid?
At least now he knew why it had bothered him so much to see her crying. When you like someone, even if you're not supposed to because that someone is definitely nor for you, you want to see them happy, or so he'd been told many times. Perhaps that was what was happening right now: he was starting to like the half-breed, and he didn't want her to be hurt.
Oh shit, no!
This was very wrong. Sasuke couldn't like any girl in that way. He was doomed to marry Hinata Hyuga, so falling for someone else would only cause pain. And if that someone else was Sakura – a half-breed vampire, wanted dead by the vampire hunters, an illegal being, not supposed to exist, more abnormal than anyone ever imagined – it was even worse; it was the worst thing he ever could do.
Suddenly, stupidly, he wished he weren't engaged. Also, he wished Sakura were a full, totally normal vampire like him. Maybe that way his thoughts of her wouldn't make him feel so guilty. Maybe that way they would have a chance to be together, because their being a couple wouldn't be seen as something horribly incorrect.
But wishing did nothing. Things would stay the way they were, even if Sasuke liked it or not. He would marry Hinata next year, build an unhappy but perfectly safe life with her, have children like he was expected to, and then wait impatiently for the day of his death. Sakura would be away from him, hiding from the vampire hunters... or maybe she would get killed soon, and become nothing but a distant memory to him.
His thoughts were squeezing his brain, cruelly torturing it, and he couldn't take it anymore. He got off the bed, exited his bedroom, and hurried down the stairs. He needed some fresh air to clear his mind and stop the flood of emotions within him.
Unconsciously, but definitely on purpose, Sasuke ended up in the backyard standing only a few feet behind Sakura, who still sat in the same position, but wasn't crying anymore. He stood immobile for several moments, watching the way the sun beamed down at Sakura making her blonde hair roots shine. He wasn't sure of what he was doing there. He shouldn't be there, with her, about to say or do something he would regret later.
In that moment, Sasuke realized for the first time that he could choose only between two paths. The first one was the safest, and it would lead him to a boring, frustrating life that would satisfy everyone but him, but choosing it was the correct thing to do. The second one was the most dangerous and it would probably get him killed, either physically or emotionally, and if he chose it, everyone would be horrified, even himself. He had to make a decision: please everyone and be safe but unhappy, or take the risk and do and be what he really wanted in spite of what everybody else would think of him?
It took him only five seconds, exactly, to make a choice.
At first, she thought the person walking towards her was Ino, and she clenched her fists angrily. It was nice that she cared and everything, but for once, at least this one time, Sakura wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they understand?
But when she glanced sideways at the person who was now sitting next to her, her stomach sank with shock. It wasn't Ino: it was Sasuke who sat cross-legged at her right, watching calmly the clear blue sky above them.
Sakura needed a few moments to understand the situation. Once she did, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her mind was spinning, filled with doubts and fears, and making her heart hammer in her chest. She suddenly wanted to hide, because she knew she looked hideous with her bloodshot eyes and messy hair, and she didn't want him to see her like that, so vulnerable and... weak.
What did she do now? Should she tell him to go away and leave her alone, or just ignore his presence until he got tired and left...?
"You must hate me," she heard herself say lowly as she gazed at the horizon. At first, she was startled by her shameless straight-forwardness, but then, she was surprised by how much she meant her words. She really did think he hated her, and she wouldn't blame him if he did. She kind of hated herself, anyway.
Sasuke took a few moments to reply. "Probably," he said finally, making her heart shrink. She cared so much about his opinion... and that was so, so incorrect! "But actually, I don't," he continued. "I know I should, but somehow, I just don't."
"Really?" she questioned disbelievingly. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't exactly like you very much, but... I just can't hate someone who has gone through so much shit in such a short period of time."
"So you pity me?"
From the corner of her eye, she saw him turn his head towards her. Impulsively, she turned to look at him too. They were sitting only a few inches apart, so close that if she leaned in a little, their shoulders would touch. She'd never been so near him before, but she didn't dislike it. It was actually nice to feel him next to her, fill her nostrils with his smell of soap, and to be able to see the almost unnoticeable pupils in his dark brown eyes and the tiny mole on his left cheekbone up close. "It would be bad if I didn't," he said, the right corner of his lips twitching upward slightly.
"Good point," Sakura said, willing herself to look back at the horizon.
"Besides, you're not a bad person."
She smiled lightly. "Thanks. I'm glad someone cares more about who I am than about what I am." Those words reminded her of what Mikoto had told her: Always remember who you are, not what you are, even if others do not. That sentence had helped her a lot, and she kept it safe in her heart like a very precious thing.
What she didn't know was that those words would also change Sasuke's perspective of reality a lot and made him feel more sure about the path he'd decided to choose. In the end, it would seem like Mikoto advised them both.
Notes: I'm trying really hard to update quickly, but I only have time to write at night, and I have to edit each chapter and stuff, so I'm sorry if I'm not fast enough; I know how it feels like to have to wait too long to know what happens next. :( Anyway, here's a really long chapter to make it up to you, wonderful reader. Thank you for the support; it means a lot to me. Keep reviewing, pleeeease. :)