WHEREVER YOU ARE

Haruno Sakura, daughter to one of Konoha's heroes. Uchiha Sasuke, Chuunin, who might just be more of a disgrace to his Clan than his brother. Sakura knew going on this mission with him would be a mistake. That she would fall in love with him all over again, and the worst part was - she was right.

Road to Ninja Universe. SasuSaku.

Chapter 24 – Void

"I need you to see the point,

I need you to feel alive,

I need you to fill the void."

T/W: THIS CHAPTER DOES HAVE IMPLIED RAPE / ABUSE. PLEASE BE WARNED.

Hidan hung back when they reached Menma and it was immediately clear to Sasuke that whatever Minato and Kakashi were supposed to do here had failed miserably. Kushina's arm was covered in burns and she was crying, calling Menma's name over and over again. Kakashi and Minato stood around her, ready to pull her away for her son at any moment.

Menma looked more animal than human at this point. Even as he faced his own parents, there was no recognition, no love, and it was clear to Sasuke he would attack Kushina again if she approached. Sasuke could feel the chakra pulsing behind his eyes…and then the stinging pain. He flinched, reaching up to press his palms to his eyes. The pain seemed to get worse every time he pushed more chakra to his eyes. Sasuke's hands came away wet with blood. He glanced up to where Hidan was watching in the shadows, who impatiently jerked his head towards where Menma was. Sasuke shot him a hateful look but turned back to where Menma was none the less. Kushina's eyes moved to where he was and Menma threw his head back, letting out an earthshaking roar before he jerked his body around to where Sasuke stood. Menma seemed to tense up, as if he would leap at Sasuke any moment. Sasuke forced his legs to stay very still as he put his hands up. The movement only served to piss Menma off and he growled lowly.
"Menma, look at me."
Menma's head jerked and they made eye contact and it was as if Sasuke was pulled into his mind. One moment he was standing in Konoha and the next he was in a dark hallway. There was a drip, drip, drip somewhere but the sound echoed so much that Sasuke wasn't sure where it was coming from. He trudged forward, through the ankle deep water towards where the tunnel seemed to open up. He saw the large gates first, they were so tall he had to tilt his head back. It was so dark behind the gates he had trouble seeing, even with his Sharingan. There was a seal on the gates and Menma was-
Shit!
Sasuke moved. Faster than he knew he could. He shot across the water and leapt up, knocking Menma's hand away from the seal and tackling him to the ground. The hit the ground hard, water splashing all around them.
Sasuke pushed up, prepared to knock some sense into Menma but it wasn't necessary. Menma blinked once, twice and then color seemed to come back to his dull eyes. Consciousness seemed to come back to him all at once. Menma laid eyes on Sasuke and leapt to his feet, stumbling a little as he did. "What…what are you doing here?"
"I've been wondering the same thing." Came a voice from behind the bars. A red, sinister-looking chakra bubbled up from the water in front of the gates. Menma grabbed Sasuke's arm, yanking him away from it. The chakra continued to grow, taking shape – of the Kyuubi.
"Ah, those eyes." The Kyuubi spoke and his voice seemed to echo in the room. "Just as sinister as her eyes."
"Who?" Sasuke asked.
"Mikoto."
Sasuke tensed up and Menma glanced at him.
"She tried to take my power. Many years ago."
"What?" Memna demanded and the Kyuubi turned his gaze.
"Oh yes, she stood over your crib while your mother was just outside the room. Completely unaware."
Menma's eyes shot back to Sasuke, who still hadn't moved a muscle.
"It was your father who stepped in. Apparently killing a baby was crossing a line for him." The Kyuubi tossed its head back and laughed.
"Enough." Sasuke snapped, he stepped forward, his hand closing around the Kyuubi's form as he pulsed his own chakra into it. The bubbles exploded.

x-x-x-x-

Sakura put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and he blinked, those strange red eyes turning to her. Sakura reached up with both hands, wiping at the smears of blood underneath his eyes.
"Are you…" Sasuke asked and Sakura forced a smile. "Of course."
She glanced over at Menma, he'd collapsed and Kushina turned him on his back, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you." Sakura murmured and she stepped away from him, hurrying over to Menma. She went down on her knees and Minato pulled Kushina away, his arms folding around her. Sakura began to heal Menma. It was a slow process and she knew the Kyuubi was already healing him from the inside but she hoped what she was doing would speed up the process. Within minutes, his skin had healed, covering the red rawness from before. Slowly, his lids lifted and his blue eyes turned to Sakura.
"Did…"
Sakura gasped. "Menma, no. Don't-"
"Did Hinata….is she…" he took a shuddering breath. "Did she…is she ok?"
Sakura's chakra flickered and she bit down on her lip hard. "I'm so sorry."
"I see." He said, lids closing again. And when he took his next breath, his face seemed to crumble.
"Menma…" Sakura whispered and his hand reached up, folding over her wrist. "Menma," she said again, her voice breaking. Menma pushed himself up and Sakura gently took him into her arms as he made a strange, broken sound low in his throat. "I'm sorry." She said again. Menma's arms tightened around her and his body shook as if he was trying to stop himself from breaking entirely.
"I love her," he said in a broken whisper, so low Sakura barely heard it. Tears sprang free from her eyes and she glanced up to find Sasuke but the spot where he'd been stood empty.

x-x-x-x

Sasuke had stayed until Menma had asked about Hinata. But he couldn't be there. Not when he felt the way he did. This…crushing guilt in his chest. No, he hadn't killed Hinata. But his mother had. She stood over your crib while your mother was just outside the room. Completely unaware.
Who was this woman? Because this person he was seeing. This person they were describing….that…couldn't be his mother right? The mother he knew…the mother he'd grown up with…she'd never been a kind or loving person per se. But she cared. And she certainly wasn't a murderer.

Sasuke felt disgusted.

Disgusted that he was even attempting to defend this person who clearly had been deceiving him all his life. The truth was right in front of him. She was a murderer. She was conniving. And most of all, every action up until this point proved it – she was evil.

But it was hard to accept. Because at the end of the day, this woman had raised him.

Sasuke made his way to where he'd last seen Itachi and his m-…and Mikoto fight. Shinobi stood at the gate as the two of them faced each other and Sasuke pushed his way to the front. Itachi and Mikoto stood on the ground, their Susanoo gone. For now. "Things won't go the way you want, Itachi." Mikoto hissed, wiping the blood from her mouth. "It's already far too late." And then she ripped her shirt open, bearing her chest to everyone around. Mikoto had been right. It was too late. Whatever information they'd gotten…it hadn't been enough. Because she'd been experimenting on more than just Hashirama's cells. Her upper body and arms were filled with multiple Sharingan. Itachi met Sasuke's eyes and the horror Sasuke felt was reflected – if only for a second – in his brother's eyes.

Where had she gotten the eyes? How many Uchiha died so she could…do that to herself? Sasuke's hands shook at his sides.

"Don't stand against me any longer. I won't hesitate to kill you and your brother!"
"Is this what you've become?" Itachi called back. "Someone who would kill her own children?"
"I would yes. If it meant I could see you again, in a perfect world." Her voice shook. "Everything I'm doing now will give us all that." She smiled, but it was twisted.
"Fugaku got what was coming to him. And I thank you for that."
Shock splashed across Itachi's face.
"You ask me if this is what I've become?" she asked. "This is what he turned me into."
Don't say it. Sasuke's hands squeezed into fists as color drained from his face. Don't let this be true. Because that would mean….that would mean that Sasuke was worse than scum for never knowing.
But she did say it. It was true.
"I want to create a world where I can look at you both and love you. Not now, where I see you and all I can think of his that I never wanted you to begin with."
Itachi took a step back.

x-x-x-x-

Thanks for reviewing.

Teaser for the next chapter: Vacant
"The coup?" she laughed. "That was all his idea. Simpleminded fool, if you ask me," Mikoto turned her gaze to Sakura who went very still. "He never did think big. His ideals of the Uchiha were…frankly, pathetic." Mikoto unsheathed her sword and her bare feet moved over the dirt, towards Sakura. Sasuke stopped breathing.

Thanks so much for reading!

- Zana-Lee