Chapter Twenty-Two: Light Side or Dark Side
Present Day:
It started out like they all did, she was in darkness and alone. But there was something different about this darkness. It was altered from the usual nothingness that had been the theme of her dreams. The suffocating and all consuming aura was absent. While she could still not see anything, she could feel the air around her moving, like a constant breeze it blew gently past, ruffling her hair and causing goosebumps to rise along the skin of her arms. She closed her eyes as they were useless to her anyways, and concentrated on her other senses. With the moving air, a distinct smell was brought to her. She took in a deep breath and her nostrils were filled with a briny scent. Releasing the breath through her parted lips, she caught the salty taste of the air that reminded her of the sea. As the connection came to her mind, a sudden spray of cold water rained down on her. Her eyes snapped open from the shock and she was stunned to find that she could see.
It was not entirely restored vision, but she could make out the frothy spray of a vast sea stretched around her. Above her was still dark as if it were night time, but there was no moon or stars, just a vast canvas of spilled ink. Where the lighting was coming from to allow her to make out the rolling waves around her was unknown, but nothing ever made sense in the dream world. The tickling of something around her ankles caused her to look down and she watched as water rushed past as it was sucked back with the swell of the tide. As the water receded completely, she found herself standing on a flat, rocky foundation that protruded from beneath the water. In the center was a dark hole where a deep well of water was pooled. Each time the waves managed to wash over the edge of the rocky foundation, the pool filled with a gurgling flood of water before emptying slightly as the tide retreated. Turning around in a small circle, she noticed that the entire rock formation was surrounded in water, with no other land in sight.
At first she had no reason to panic. Surely if she took flight and headed in a direction she would be able to find land somewhere. But then a dawning came to her, she did not have wings. It was like her other dreams before, when she had no wings to summon, only this time she knew why. It was because she was mortal and mortals did not have wings. That fact made her consciously aware of the fragility of her current state. This body was precious. It was not gifted with divine power and healing capabilities. Nor was its physical capability what she was used to.
This realization brought about another thought. The tide would eventually come in, this platform of an island would be submerged and while she knew how to swim, she was not confident in her lesser physique. Just how long would she be able to tread water? While she had yet to put it to the test, Sakura already knew that her stamina and strength would not be what she was used to and would not last until the tide changed again.
"Sakura."
She whirled around, her eyes searching frantically for the owner of the voice. Without seeing she already knew who she would find, but even still, as her eyes finally found Sasuke, she was still not prepared for the sight of him.
Sitting at the edge of the deep well, he sat with his legs submerged in the cold water while he leaned back on his hands. Shirtless, the salty spray collected and dripped down his naked torso. Sakura's eyes traced the lean and defined abdomen before trailing her eyes up to his sturdy chest and then finally to his face. When she met his eyes, he was smirking, as if enjoying her attention she had given to his physical body. Sakura felt her face grow warm and was mortified with herself for blatantly ogling him with no subtlety or propriety to his privacy. Then again, he was practically displaying himself, as if telling her to admire it.
He sat up and stretched a hand out towards her. "Come," he beckoned. "Do not be afraid."
Long ago, Kakashi once told her only the untrustworthy needed to assure you they could be trusted. As she looked at Sasuke, Sakura wondered if this applied to those who were a danger. Was he telling her to not be afraid of the water...or of him. If the latter, why would she need assurance not to be afraid?
She looked up from his hand and looked into his eyes. They glowed red as black tomoes swirled around in lazy circles. As she stared into those eyes, she was struck with a complete familiarity. As if she had gazed into those eyes often, admired those eyes frequently, and had never feared those eyes before. She knew those eyes were dangerous, but not to her, they never had been. Eased by the comforting familiarity, Sakura walked towards him, taking his hand when she was close enough and knelt down next to him as he drew her down with the guidance of his hand.
A particularly large wave washed over the ledge they were on and Sakura sucked in a breath as the shock of cold water washed over her legs. As it receded, she found herself still sitting in an inch of water. The tide was beginning to come in. However, that fact escaped her when she felt a wet hand against her cheek. Turning her attention to the man before her, she met his calming familiar eyes.
"Do not worry," he consoled. "I will take you somewhere safe."
"But there is no where to go," she said, looking around at the never ending body of water. She looked up to the sky. Or what would be the sky. "The heavens are not in this world."
There was a chuckle. "You mortals are always looking up to the heavens for saving, but you forget there is a whole other world beneath the surface of your own."
She heard a splash of water and drew her eyes from the void of black to look down at Sasuke as he treaded at the surface of the dark water. From the depths of black liquid, his hand broke the surface and reached out to her.
"Come," he beckoned. "I will take you somewhere safe."
Another wave of water crashed over the ledge and this time she found herself sitting in two inches of water. As she stared at his hand, she questioned the logic of it. How could entering the water help their predicament? They needed land, solid ground. Then again, this world never did make sense.
It reminded her of the mortal story book about the young girl who falls down the rabbit hole. That world too did not make sense. Curiouser and curiouser the girl had said. In the story, the heroine believed in six impossible things before breakfast, why could she not believe in at least one.
She took his hand then met his eyes and froze. His eyes were not the same. Gone where the swirling tomoes and gone was the familiarity. Instead, his irises had been reshaped into the form of a star or a blossoming flower. It was eerily beautiful, but it was also unfamiliar. And Sakura did not like the smirk that pulled at his lips. Sakura had always found the mortal expression of a 'crocodile smile' odd, until now. Now, she felt she completely understood the meaning of it. Because as she looked back at those unfamiliar eyes, she noted something. This was not the Sasuke from her other dreams, this was a different version. A more current version. This was his darkside. The one that razed cities and destroyed societies. The one that did the bidding of Orochimaru without a single hesitation. The one that she had been warned of time and time again. This was not Itachi's brother that he had described with fondness, it was the monster that had possessed his brother.
She moved to pull away but Sasuke was already prepared for it. Taking advantage of her surprise, he dove down into the water, dragging her down with him as he propelled himself beneath the surface of the water. Sakura was allowed a half breath before she was pulled under the depths of the water.
The initial shock of the frigid water stunned her and the deeper Sasuke pulled her, the colder she grew. Again she was back to a dark world where nothing could be seen. She could still hear but it was nothing more than a muffled shift of water and the faint thundering as the rising waves crashed down on the rock ledge above her. And the deeper she was dragged, the more quiet things became.
Her whole body was numb. All sense and feeling in her arms and legs was lost, the only exception being the tug on her right arm as Sasuke clung to her, pulling her deeper and deeper. She pulled her arm back, trying to free herself but her mortal strength was no match for Sasuke's divine strength. The pool seemed to be never ending and the amount of time seemed to drag on and on. And then she felt it. A burning within her chest as her lungs screamed to be replenished of fresh air. Air. Air was up above, but Sasuke was pulling them in the wrong direction, he was taking her away from what she needed. And as much as she needed it, she already knew it was pointless to try. They had already gone to a depth where even if she were to free herself, she would never make it in time. She was drowning. Sasuke was drowning her, and she had let him. Like a foolish sailor letting a siren take him to a watery grave, she had taken his hand and let him drag her down.
Sakura lurched up from the mattress, her eyes snapping open as her mouth sucked in a loud gasp of air. Her body was drenched, but as she took in several more gasping breaths, she realized it was not from the salty sea, but a sticky cold sweat. Wiping a shaking hand across her forehead, she swiped away the beaded drops that had formed on the surface of her skin and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She intended to stand immediately but she remained sitting at the edge of her bed, not trusting her legs to hold her up. Her entire body was shaking with a wild tremor that shook every fiber of her being.
Her hand dropped down from her face to her chest as she attempted to soothe her racing heart. Staring at the floor of her room with vacant eyes, she began to feel herself calm down. At least enough for her to finally regain function of her body and stand. Crossing her room she sat down at the small bench beneath her window and with a still slightly trembling hand, she pushed the window open.
The fresh air that brought a floral scent from the gardens below calmed her even more as she closed her eyes. For a moment, she had peace. Until the flash of a pair of gothic flowered irises came across her mind and her eyes snapped open. A shiver ran down her back and she suddenly felt fearful to look around, too scared that she might come eye to eye with the real thing. Like a child afraid of monsters under their bed, Sakura wanted to crawl beneath her blankets and cry out for someone to come save her.
"It was just a dream," she said to herself. "It means nothing. It was just a dream."
She was safe to be alone in the heavens. Nothing would drag her down or away from it. As long as she was in the heavens, Sasuke, that Sasuke, would not be able to take her away.
Two days felt like two centuries, and by the third, Sasuke realized she was not going to come back. With this realization, he knew he would have to seek her out again. Thankfully, he already knew where to go. The mortal, the odd one with the peculiar mannerisms, that was his ticket in finding her again. If Sakura was one thing, it was loyal. She would not abandon the strong bond that he had observed between the two. Eventually, she would show up again. And when she did, he would be ready, waiting. And when the opportunity came, he would make his move.
It was perhaps a sloppy and extreme measure that he was planning, but that was what happened when things started to come unhinged. You just had to frantically pound nails randomly to keep things from falling apart completely. He had felt this way before, though not to the same degree. But it was a state he could not afford to enter into fully again. And Sasuke had a feeling that if he let this be prolonged for too long, he would certainly lose all of his sanity.
As he sat on the rooftop where he could look down and watch the coming and goings of the residents that were becoming more and more familiar, Sasuke obsessively reviewed the events of his most recent moments with Sakura. Recorded flawlessly by his Sharingan, Sasuke replayed the look of fear over and over in his mind. No matter how many times he watched it unfold, every time seemed renewed. It was that look, the look she had given him. It just did not belong. It was not the look of his Sakura.
Disgusted with the sight of it, he moved farther back into the interaction when things had first gone south. He did not dare go any further, for if he re-lived that moment in which he held her in his arms, ran his hands up her thighs and around her waist, and tasted her as she pressed herself against him, he truly would go insane.
The one piece that he had trouble with, was when she had pulled free from him the first time and pushed him away. It was almost as if his Sharingan recorded it incorrectly, like a glitch in the programming, something was showing up that did not belong. As if extra footage from a different memory was overlapping with this one.
Chakra. It was faint, and faster than it appeared, it was gone with no trace. But all the same, it was there. It had taken him several times of replaying the incident before he had even caught it. When he did, he became obsessive. Was there a third party that he did not notice? But even that did not explain it. Because each time it appeared, it was a flash of green that seemed to emanate from Sakura herself. But that could not be right. Sakura was mortal, she did not have chakra.
Sasuke shook his head in frustration as he tried to let it go. This was obviously not going to help the frail sanity of his mind if he continued. He needed to let it go, he needed a distraction while he waited. As if the thought summoned such a thing, Sasuke stiffened when he felt a familiar presence.
Not bothering to turn around, Sasuke continued to watch the apartment building as the tenant with the cat that she treated like an infant returned with her walk around the block. Today the poor cat was secured to her chest with a sling that Sasuke was certain was meant for human babies.
"Hello Itachi," Sasuke called out. "Come to give me another lesson on the ethics of mortal interactions?"
Itachi had found him on a rooftop lost in thought. For a while he had just observed his little brother. Like a gargoyle of a cathedral, Sasuke squatted in his perch, unmoving and rigid like the stone guardians he mimicked. After a while of gaining no information of what was going on in his mind, Itachi had let his presence be known.
He could not help but gain a small smile at his brother's greeting. It was moments like these that he was reminded of the brother that was no longer. Seeing snippets of the ghost of the boy always gave him hope.
Closing the distance between them, he pulled himself up onto the ledge, and settled down next to Sasuke. "I suppose it depends on the situation," Itachi said as he looked at Sasuke. "How are things going with your little mortal?"
"I thought you said you would not get involved?" Sasuke said, his eyes still focused on the building across the street.
"That is true, but humor me," Itachi responded. "How have things been going with your Sakura?"
Itachi turned just in time to see a small frown pull at Sasuke's mouth as his eyes narrowed to focus even harder on the street below. "It has proven to be more complicated than I thought," he answered with a frustrated tone.
"Tell me about her," Itachi requested. Sasuke looked at him from the side. "Have you noticed anything strange?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "What do you mean strange? Do you know something?" He said suspiciously.
This suspicion gave Itachi the impression that, yes, there was something strange. However, he wanted to address this lightly. He was fond of seraph Sakura and did not want her to get into any trouble. Especially if she was not involved at all. For all he knew, mortal Sakura could look completely different. Perhaps the spring-like description Sasuke had given long ago, was more figurative than literal. Maybe she had black hair and brown eyes and it was her essence that was like the spring flowers, not her actual appearance.
"I was just wondering if you noticed any…" Itachi drifted off when he realized his brother was not listening.
Sasuke's body had come to an abrupt attention as his eyes fixed on something below. Itachi followed his line of sight and found himself transfixed on the same thing at the end of the street. From their vantage point atop the five story building, the pedestrians were not very distinguishable from each other. Perhaps a hat or different hair color separated them from being identical but there was no real identifying a person from the tops of their is, with the exception of one, candy floss colored head that stood out with vibrant color.
Itachi had only met her once but even he could not mistake the top of Sakura's rosette head. The very same Sakura he had met in the heavens.
She was looking down at a book as a dark haired boy walked along with her. As they came closer, he could make them out more clearly. Sakura had the same pleasant smile she had given him in the gardens as she chatted with the dark haired boy. Like before, any sign of chakra was absent and again, Itachi was hit with the illusion that she was mortal. Especially walking among them, it was no wonder his brother was fooled. Even now he wondered maybe it was he who was fooled and this really was just a mortal Sakura and the seraph Sakura he had met just happened to look like her.
"Is that her?" Itachi asked, even though he already knew the answer. From the corner of his eye he saw Sasuke silently nod his head. "She's beautiful," Itachi commented.
"Yes," Sasuke said quietly. "In every way."
Itachi managed to take his eyes from Sakura and looked at his brother. The tone of his voice had been one he had never heard before and he had to check and make sure it was in fact Sasuke who was still sitting next to him.
"I can certainly see why…" Itachi drifted off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. Why he went crazy. Why he nearly destroyed the world. Served a master such as Orochimaru? Why he was so determined to regain her? "...she is so special to you," he finished.
"Hn," Sasuke replied.
And with that, silence fell between them. For an hour they sat together even after Sakura and the dark haired boy had disappeared into the apartment building. Sasuke remained fixated. Itachi wondered how long Sasuke would remain but eventually he stood and bid his brother farewell. He had learned what he had come to learn, confirmed that seraphim Sakura was for sure to be mistaken as mortal Sakura.
The only problem was did Sasuke? And when he found out, because he would, how would he react? There was nothing more that Sasuke hated than betrayal. And deceiving him, whether ignorantly or with good intention, would be seen as such an act. He needed to warn her but how? If he approached while Sasuke was watching, he would see it as interfering. The peace accords were coming soon but would that be soon enough? A lot could change in a week.
Itachi had left hours ago and it was not until the sun was beginning to descend that Sakura finally exited the apartment building alone and started walking down the street. As soon as she appeared he was to his feet and via rooftop, he followed. Stealthily he leapt across the gap between two buildings, easily clearing the alleyway with a small boost of his wings to help propel him farther. He didn't need the assistance to clear the gap, but it resulted in a softer and therefore more quiet landing.
While he was sure Sakura would not think to expect someone following her from above, he would not put it past her. She already seemed alert, her stride quick paced and rigid, as if she were expecting an attack at any minute. And then the thought came to him, was she alert because of him?
Sasuke frowned at that thought. She should not be worried about him. While their last encounter had not gone as planned, it was all just a misunderstanding. He just needed a moment alone with her to explain that.
She turned down a secluded alleyway and Sasuke saw his chance. Gliding across the main street, he landed on the building that was opposite to him. As soon as his feet touched down, he silently sprinted to the edge where he abruptly dropped down into the gap of the building and the one next to it.
He landed in the narrow alley, his landing softened by his wings. As soon as he lifted his head from the ground where his feet landed, he saw that he had calculated correctly in blocking Sakura just before she reached the other end. She came up short, startled by his sudden appearance as her eyes went wide and a small gasp sounded as she suppressed a yell of alarm.
"You've been avoiding me Sakura," he said in a light scold.
She moved to take a step back but paused when she realized how closely he was watching her. He did not want to scare her, but he certainly wanted her to know that she was not going to escape him until things were settled between them.
She hugged her arms as if giving her a security barrier as she avoided his eyes. "No I haven't."
Sasuke tilted his head. "You seem to be in a hurry to leave."
"It's getting dark," she supplied. "I need to get home and do some things."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Of all the times for her to start listening to his warnings about staying out after dark.
"Tch, it only took you two thousand years to learn that lesson," he muttered under his breath.
"Maybe we can talk later at a more convenient time," she suggested.
Sasuke waved her off. "You know I wouldn't have to drop in on you so abruptly and inconveniently if I knew where to find you or at least contact you. It's a bit of a nuisance to have to sit around and watch mortals walk in and out of a building all day long in hopes one of the millions who live in this city finally arrived. It's a bit mundane for my taste."
Sakura's eyes finally met his, and he saw the faintest glint of amusement. "Finally admitting you're stalker?" She said with a teasing tone. "Congratulations, you finally accomplished the first step, acknowledging you have a problem. Only eleven more to go."
Sasuke shook his head with mirth. "As I said before, I would not have to resort to such measures if I had better means of contacting you." An amused smirk came to his lips. "I cannot deny I have an addiction to you but stalking is beneath me. I prefer to label it as an observance of your activities."
Sakura's brow rose. "You mean like a stake out?" she asked dryly, thinking of the numerous cop shows that Sai enjoyed.
"Sure," he said with a shrug. "Unlike stalking, which is to pursue without being noticed, I have no intention of hiding myself. I sought you out with a purpose."
"And what would that be?" She asked curiously.
He took a step forward but stopped when the amused glint in Sakura's eyes vanished and she stumbled back. He frowned but stayed where he was.
"Forgive me," he requested. When she gave him an inquisitive look, he expanded his explanation. "I want to apologize for the other day. I meant you no harm, I was just...not myself," he finished. "I should not have forced nor handled you in such a way...I just…" he looked up at her. "Could we maybe just forget that happened, could you give me another chance. Let me regain your trust."
Sakura stared at him quietly. Her mouth opened but nothing came out so she closed it. She repeated this several times before she finally managed to summon some sort of response.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly hugging herself. "But I don't think...I don't think that it's a good idea."
She met his eyes and Sasuke saw something within them. Regret? Pain? Whichever it was, one thing he was certain of, was part of her did not agree with those words. It was perhaps minuscule but he could see it. The desire to give a different answer, the want to give in.
He swallowed the thick lump in his throat. Why was she denying her wants? "Sakura," he began but she was shaking her head.
"Please Sasuke," she pleaded. "Please just accept my decision. I just...I just want a normal life," she said with a pained tone. "I can't give you what you want."
Sasuke opened his mouth to refute her claim that she had nothing to offer, but he was cut short when the flutter of wings echoed and filled the alleyway and two large forms dropped down. One behind Sakura and the other behind Sasuke. Before the flutter and flapping died and their wings tucked back behind them, Sasuke knew who they were already. There was no mistaking Kakashi's signature grey wings, and he did not even need to look to know Naruto was behind him due to the boisterous chakra the idiot couldn't suppress to save his life. His eyes narrowed as soon as he met Kakashi's single eye. And then suddenly everything made sense.
"Hn," he let out. "I should have known you two would be involved."
"Sasuke," Kakashi said in a firm tone. "What are you doing here?"
Sasuke raised a brow. "What am I doing here? What am I–" he cut himself as he let out a snort of disbelief. "You're kidding right?"
Kakashi did not reply.
"Tch," Sasuke tisked. He pointed to Sakura. "When were you going to tell me? After all we have been through, you did not even think that her existence would have been important to me?"
"It's because of that we have not told you," Kakashi replied gravely. "Your actions have not proven that you are the most suitable to be around."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "And what gives you the right to decide that? That is between Sakura and I, it is for her to decide."
"And she did."
At Kakashi's words, Sasuke's eyes went immediately to Sakura. She looked back at him guiltily then lowered her eyes. It was true, it was her decision. They had discussed it days ago. When asked what she wanted to do, Sakura had said she wanted distance, at least for the time being.
Until she could get a grasp on what she had been and was now, she wanted to have minimal complications. And Sasuke was a big one. She thought with time he decision would change, but ever since her dreams had changed, it left her fearful of the idea of him in her life.
There was no way of knowing which Sasuke he was. The one who held her and touched her with gentle hands that made her feel things she had never felt for anyone else before. Or, was he the one that dragged her down beneath the surface of the water and didn't let go, holding her captive beneath the suffocating water.
He took a step forward and Kakashi immediately pulled Sakura back where he held her protectively to his chest. Sasuke's eyes drifted between the two before finally settling on Kakashi.
"Let her alone Sasuke," Kakashi warned. "It's what she wants."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You sure about that? Because it didn't seem like that before." His attention moved to Sakura who reluctantly met his eyes. "Is it Sakura? Is this what you want, or what they want? Tell me, what brainwashing ideas did they feed into your mind to convince you of this?"
She shook her head. "Nothing," she said quietly. "Its my-"
"Bullshit," Sasuke cut off with a snap. He pointed a finger to Naruto then to Kakashi. "They are lying to you, Sakura. They knew who you were from the beginning and they never told you. I guarantee the only reason they even paid any attention to you is because they knew who you were. They knew who you were the moment they first saw you just as I did. But I told you the truth from the beginning, of who you were. How long has it been that they failed to do that Sakura? How long have you known them? A year? Two? Since you were a child? All this time and I bet they never even mentioned your previous life."
Sakura said nothing. From behind Sasuke, she caught Naruto's look of guilt and she felt Kakashi's hold tighten, no doubt feeling the same way as Naruto at his words. Because they were true, truer that most likely Sasuke even realized. Perhaps not all of it but yes, they had lied. Change those years Sasuke had speculated to millennia and he would have hit it right on the nose. But it was not their choice.
"I have never lied to you, Sakura," Sasuke continued as he pointed to himself. "From the beginning, I have always been honest." His face darkened. "Yet it's going to be them that you trust?" She felt herself drawn to him as his eyes gazed at her heatedly. "I know you Sakura, I know you better than they ever did. You told me your wants and desires, your dreams and your fears. I know you in and out, which is why I question if this is really your choice or there's. Wake the fuck up Sakura, I'm the one you want. I know it, you feel it too. Stop listening to them and listen to yourself!"
She didn't like his anger being directed at her. She didn't like any of this. She wanted to go to him, to reach up and smooth out the cress in the middle of his forehead, and calm him. She was not sure why she felt she could do that, but she did. However, even now as she felt herself being drawn to him, just as he referred, the recollection of the change of atmosphere within her dreams had her hesitate.
Sasuke is dangerous, she reminded herself. You cannot be selfish, she added. It was a mantra that she found herself needing as she found herself thinking more and more of him. But with the risk of him finding out, and the outcome not going as well as she would hope, she could not bring herself to go to him.
She shook her head. "Please," she said, her voice sounding strained as she tried to keep down the choke that threatened to break her resolve. "Please understand, I am not her, not anymore. I am someone different."
"Sakura," Kakashi said quietly, "Why don't you go back the other way and head home. I think the bus two blocks down will be there in about fifteen minutes."
Looking away from Sasuke, Sakura nodded her head. It was code for how far she should go before taking to the skies as well as the time that Kakashi would stall Sasuke for. She moved around Kakashi and took a few steps backwards. All the while, Sasuke shook his head to the side just slightly enough for her to pick up on his plea. But Sakura denied it when she turned around and began to walk down the alleyway.
"Sakura." His voice carried her name all the way down to where she was, but she continued to walk away. Sasuke began to follow after her. "Sak-"
He was cut off when an arm was thrust in front of him. Stopping abruptly, Sasuke looked down to the strong arm that was acting as a toll booth. He followed the arm up until he was looking into the dark grey eye of his long ago teacher.
"We need to have a little chat," Kakashi said.
Sasuke grabbed a hold of Kakashi's arm and twisted it, ducking under to pursue Sakura but he was only granted a step before he felt himself being tugged backwards. He flew through the air until his back hit against the old brick of the alley way. He let out a grunt and pushed off the wall only to be forced back against the gritty wall as Kakashi pinned him. Sasuke glared up at the grey haired seraph as he gritted his teeth. Behind Kakashi, Naruto stood as back up, nearly bouncing on his toes in preparation.
"Let me go," Sasuke growled.
"Not until you listen to what I say," Kakashi remarked. "We have gone to great lengths to keep Sakura safe for years." How many years Kakashi would leave for Sasuke to decide on his own. "We will not risk her safety. Let. Her. Be."
Summoning some strength, Sasuke pushed Kakashi into Naruto. While startled, he recovered quickly and before Sasuke could move they had him cornered.
Sasuke glared at them. "You found her, you have known, yet you did not think to ever tell me?" he said accusingly. When he caught the guilt in both their faces he realized that the idea had crossed their minds. Yet they didn't. "Why?" he demanded.
"We had to keep her safe," Naruto responded this time.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "You think that is not what I want? What I always wanted? You have no idea what I went through to try and keep her safe, to bring her back."
"That is exactly why we didn't tell you," Kakashi remarked.
Sasuke sent him a sharp look. "I would never harm her," he said with a tone of offense.
Kakashi gave him a softer look. "None of us would mean to, none of us meant to, but…"
He let the unspoken words hang in the air and their minds filled in the unspoken. But they did. He did. Naruto did. They had hurt her.
Sasuke's face hardened. "Do not," he began darkly.
"I am not blaming you Sasuke," Kakashi quickly defended. "It is not that event that this decision was made, but your actions after. They have not given me the confidence that you can keep her safe. Stay away from her, and trust us to keep her safe. We have done so thus far."
"Trust you," Sasuke spat. "Trust you like Sakura trusts you? Blindly and stupidly. Tell me, what horrors have you painted me to be for her? What malicious things will I do to her?"
"She does not think poorly of you Sasuke," Kakashi answered. "However your reputation may fail in her eyes the more you push her. It may be her, but she has changed. She is not the same Sakura you used to know and she does not know you."
"That's because she doesn't know who I am," Sasuke snapped. "No thanks to you."
Kakashi let out a heavy sigh then gave Sasuke a hard look. "Leave her be," he said in a tone that he hardly ever used. "You had your fun, you saw that she is alive and well, now let her be. Stay away from her."
He became a blur. Sasuke moved quickly, taking advantage of the surprise he had on them. Moving to Kakashi first as he was the faster of the two, Sasuke grabbed him and tossed him into the garbage container at one end of the alley. Using the same momentum, he sent a hard kick into Naruto's stomach, causing him to double over. Again, in the same movement, he let his wings take him up past the fire escapes and power lines that ran along the alley way.
Naruto let out a groan as he managed to stand up. Holding his stomach, he moved to where Kakashi was crawling out of the weeks worth of garbage.
"Do we go after him?" Naruto asked urgently, fluttering his wings in preparation for flight.
Kakashi pulled a banana peel from his shoulder then began to scrap something that he hoped was gravy and not some other brown substances that was oozing from a napkin. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he spoke. "No," he answered, finally looking at Naruto. "Sakura had plenty of time to get back to the heavens, she should be fine."
"Well what are we going to do about Sasuke?" Naruto worried. "We practically confirmed that Sakura is Sakura."
"We wait."
"We wait?" Naruto questioned.
Kakashi nodded as he looked in the direction that Sasuke had flown off to. "Yes, now we wait and see really what Sasuke we are dealing with. A Sasuke that can be trusted to do what is best, to keep her safe, or...we see if he really is a danger."
"And if he is that latter?"
Kakashi let out a sigh and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Let's just hope, for our sake and Sakura's, that he isn't. Because I fear not even all the heavens and hell could not stop him. Not now, not anymore."
Thanks everyone! You are all wonderful! Stay happy, stay healthy and remember the most important thing...You are awesome! Next chapter is Ancient Greece and should be full of plenty of SasuSaku moments that you will all hopefully love!
