Chapter 10
"What?" Her voice came out with disbelief as her brows furrowed into a hardened frown.
"Sasuke Uchiha has betrayed the village by joining the enemy." The pink-haired girl repeated the speech as she had memorized. "Our shinobi code deems this punishable by death. I wish to see justice done and am willing to pay for it."
Tsunade closed her eyes, her nostrils enlarging as she took a deep breath. Shizune hid her terrified expression behind her clipboard, her eyes moving between the two. The dark-haired woman fully knew how frightening her mentor could be when she was truly angry, and this was going to be one of those moments. The assistant just hoped that her master would take pity on the poor foolish girl.
The blonde's hands closed into fists as her office seat turned more uncomfortable by the second. With a swift movement, she got up from the chair and turned to look out the window. Perhaps if she was out of her sight she could control her anger better. Sakura stood in silence, ignorant of what would happen. The woman considered her words and exhaled through her nose. Just what she needed, another child obsessed with vengeance.
"I gave you a chance to move on," Tsunade began in a low menacing tone, "and this is how you choose to spend it..."
"Y-yes." The Haruno replied, her confidence wavering at the sound of the Hokage's voice. She steeled herself and blurted. "I please ask you to acce-"
"Do you know what the council called me when I decided to give you that amount?" The woman slowly interrupted the girl on the wheelchair. "You, a worthless, useless genin with nothing noticeable of accomplishment..."
Sakura felt tears coming to her eyes. She did not know if that was what the council, or what the Hokage or what the entire village thought, but it still hurt to hear it. "I-I-" She tried before being cut off again.
"They called me a fool." The woman answered. "Perhaps they were right."
"Uhmm, Tsunade-sama, it's clear that she is still trying to-" Her assistant tried to intervene but was met by a harsh reprimand.
"Shut it, Shizune!" The petite apprentice immediately froze and Sakura recoiled at the sudden outburst, both of them too scared to draw her wrath to themselves. Tsunade turned her attention back to the cripple . "You must either be the stupidest or most egotistical girl in this village." The blonde paused for a brief moment as she seemed to come to a realization. "Now I can see why you liked him."
The tears she was holding in now freely started streaming down her face. The pinkette closed her eyes in an effort to stop crying, but it was useless. She lost control over her emotions just as she had over her legs. What did that hag know about her? About her suffering? She was only a bitter old woman with no one to care about. Shouting, Sakura expressed just that. "He took everything away from me! Don't talk as if you understand, because you don't!"
Tsunade shouted back. "You ungrateful, selfish BRAT!" Her powerful voice reverberated throughout the entire building like a thunder. "I understand loss a whole lot more than you do, so does the other hundreds of shinobi in this village." If Sakura could retreat more into her seat, she would. But the girl had no choice but to remain there as the sannin slowly advanced towards her. "As Hokage it's my duty to keep them from ending up in a worse fate. Yet, you come here to WASTE my time with your teenage petty drama."
Sakura stuttered, her face red and wet with her teardrops, unable to find an appropriate response.
"Go back home to play with your dolls kid, I have lunch to grab. Come, Shizune!" The assistant obediently followed her mentor, sending a look of pity as she passed the paraplegic girl.
"Hold up! I'm not done yet!" Sakura tried to stop them from heading out but both women simply ignored her.
"Yes, you are." Tsunade responded sternly but calm.
"Come back her-" Crying, the pinkette turned on her chair, trying to grab the medical kunoichi. But the sudden movement only made the wheel tip over itself. Before she could notice, Sakura was sent sprawling on the floor with an 'oof'.
Naruto set foot in immediatly after. He expressed even more shock as the sight of the broken crying mess on the floor that was Sakura revealed itself to him.
"Good, you're still here. Take this trash out of my office." Tsunade coldly told him.
"Wai-" The Uzumaki tried in vain to stop them as both women shunshined out of there before he could finish his sentence. His first instinct was to follow after that old bat and get some answers on why did she speak to his Sakura-chan that way, but a sobbing sound behind him stopped him from doing so. Naruto watched for a brief moment as the poor girl just stood there pathetically, unable to get back up.
As he started to put her wheelchair back on its wheels, Naruto decided that they could wait.
***X***
He risked taking another glimpse of her once again. To his dismay, the girl with pink locks still looked the same from when he'd brought her there. The sound of her weeping continued to plague his ears as it had been for the last twenty minutes. Many times he would try to comfort her, only to give up the moment another sob escaped her. This situation was beyond his understanding. The fact that she had become so surrounded by darkness to the point that she'd want to request a mission to kill his lost friend left him shaken to say the least.
The idea of Sakura-chan and her wanting Sasuke dead was something that was impossible to register for his brain. It was as if there was something wrong in the universe, the two simply didn't fit together. That had to be some sort of prank, right? The confusion was what made him not intervene earlier before, when he was eavesdropping on them. Although what Sasuke had done was terrible, he still had the hope that he could bring the deserter back to the light. Naruto was sure that, if only he became strong enough, he could do this. He would do this. He never went back on his word, that was his ninja way. But he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep it if the girl was to be involved.
In truth, he was scared. Scared of how much the pinkette must've been suffering and that he couldn't do anything but watch his Sakura-chan's descent. This fear manifested itself even now, making his mouth go dry anytime he would try to talk to her or freezing him whenever his hand tried to touch her shoulder. Not knowing what to say, Naruto shifted on the wooden bench and decided to remain as he had since they got there, quiet.
Her sobbing slowly calmed down and an uncanny silence started to settle in. Finally unburying her face from her hands, her jade eyes fixed their gaze on the ground in front of them. She was spent. The back of her hand felt her wet cheeks as she rubbed them, trying to get some sort of composure back in place. As her tears began to dry, her mind started thinking. Curse them! How was she supposed to get her revenge now? If they wouldn't give her the justice she needed, who would?
From the corner of her eyes she saw the orange-clad ninja uncomfortably silent. An expression of clarity suddenly dominated her features as it finally dawned on her. "N-naruto?".
Her voice made the boy jump up from his seat. Standing right next to her and scratching the back of his head, Naruto replied. "Y-yeah, Sakura-chan?"
"You're still leaving aren't you?" She pondered, a plan coming together inside her head.
"Y-yeah," he paused, before a sigh escaped his lips, "sorry." Naruto was terrified at the notion of that terrible silence settling between them again. So without thinking too much, he continued. "But if you want I can-" stay.
He stopped himself before he could say it. The Uzumaki felt himself blushing as the thought of Sakura wanting him around began taking shape in his brain. It almost felt like a confession. Perhaps it really was. He'd always known it of course. But it was the first time that he realized the full extent of what it truly meant. Which was the fact that she was much more important to him than getting stronger, or even the title of Hokage. He puffed up his chest and mustered all his courage.
"If you want I can st-"
"Can I please ask you something?" She interrupted him.
His words died in his throat. It was kinda important that he finished his sentence. But what other choice did he have though?
"Anything, believe it!" He replied, saluting her energetically.
Poor boy.
Sakura maneuvered herself until she was right in front of him. Her voice came out softly, almost as if she was asking a boyfriend to buy her a simple gift. "Will you kill Sasuke for me?"
Naruto went rigid when he heard those words. "Wh-wh-what...?"
"They won't do it for me, but you will... right?" There was a hint of desperation in her deceptive tone as she adjusted herself closer to him.
The genin's voice struggled to come out. "Sakura... I can't..."
"You what!? Nonononono." She quickly began, agressively refuting his rejection whilst pointing at him. "No. You can't deny me this!"
What in the world was Sakura-chan thinking? He couldn't kill his friend, not when he was sure he could save him. Naruto shook his head and tried to stand his ground "I am not doing that-"
"YES YOU ARE!" Her sudden outburst made the ninja recoil. A whole 'nother wave of terror was sent crashing on him, for it seemed as if her wheelchair was the only thing holding back her insanity. As instantly as her voice had raised, its volume lowered itself until it was nothing more than an intimate whisper. "Look," she continued, grabbing one of his hands and holding it close to her chest, "there's got to be enough here between us that you must feel some sort of obligation to me; so you find Sasuke and kill him!"
Another realization dawned on her as she uttered her last sentence. It was a disgusting thought, but, at the moment, she was willing to pay any price for her revenge. The girl managed to continue before giving him another chance to protest.
"If you kill him for me, I promise I'll be yours forever." His cerulean eyes widened in disbelief at her statement. Sakura-chan couldn't be seriously suggesting that. As if to show him that she wasn't kidding, Sakura placed her cheek on the palm of his hand and spoke in a sweet voice. "I swear I'll love you with all my heart... Naruto-kun..."
The boy felt his stomach turn at the way that she adressed him. He'd once thought that it would've felt amazing when Sakura called him so. It was, after all, one of the earliest dreams he'd ever had. Now it was quite literally within his grasp. All he had to do was to... Yet, the feeling of her soft wet cheeks wasn't as nice as he'd imagined it to be; neither was the sensation of when she finally called him 'Naruto-kun'. There was something crooked and wretched hiding behind her gentle tone. Robbing him of his dreams as a sickening taste in his mouth replaced it instead, a mixture of guilt, disgust and sadness.
As he fought a tear that started forming. Naruto swiftly retrieved his hand from her, startling the wheelchair bound girl. "Sorry Sakura-chan, but you can't make me do this..."
Hearing his murmur, Sakura's expression was of disbelief at first, then quickly turning sour as she avoided his look. Those brief moments of silence seemed like an eternity which he was forced to endure in agony.
"Really, huh?" Naruto swallowed, the hatred in her low tone almost palpable. "Fine then... you fucking coward."
His eyes widened. He'd never seen her curse before, and the fact that it was meant towards him didn't make it feel any better. Stuttering, he tried to speak in his defence. "B-but Sakura-chan, I-"
"I give myself to you, but now that I'm in a fucking wheelchair you reject me!? YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT!" She shouted at him, her face red from the anger and her previous crying.
Did Sakura-chan really think that he didn't like her anymore because of that? "That's not what I-" He tried to defend himself.
"Am I that disgusting to you Naruto, is that it!?" She certainly was becoming so. But the blond still held onto the hope that he could reason with her, make her understand his side.
"What? Sakur-"
"If Sasuke is so damn important to you, then why don't you just go join him huh?! Fucking traitor!" She continued with her violent barrage towards him. It was on the peak of her thoughtless agression that she stated. "No wonder nobody loves you... not even your parents."
The boy's expression immediately darkened. The entire world around him stopped. He wasn't sure if she was still cursing at him. Naruto just knew that he could only feel hurt. He turned and started to walk away, his gaze pointing at the ground beneath him. His ears picked up something like "YEAH RUN AWAY YOU COWARD!" and, "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FUCKING FACE EVER AGAIN!" behind him.
Not looking back at the pink-haired girl who still shouted at him, Naruto continued his way towards the village's gates instead of Ichiraku's.
All of a sudden, he wasn't that hungry anymore.
***X***
He was supposed to have reached the village's gates by now, but found himself heading down the wrong direction once again. His steps were aimless and his head full of questions. The pain inside him growed with each thought he put into it. Naruto couldn't feel any anger towards her, but her words still hurt him really really much. Perhaps there was some truth in what she said. About his parents, about Sasuke, about how he felt towards her after she was paralyzed.
Although she had said all those things to him, he knew that he still had feelings for her. Right? If he really did, then why he didn't just accept killing Sasuke for her?The girl even said that she would be his if he did it. How many nights of sleep he spent with her inside his head, caring for him like he did for her. Sometimes he liked to pretend that they were together, often talking to himself in his home as if she was there. And yet, his decision to reject her had come almost unconsciously. Was it because he didn't find her as attractive or something? No, that couldn't be it. Sakura was still the prettiest girl in his eyes, and the fact that she couldn't walk no more didn't change his desire for her at all.
"Sasuke..." He whispered.
Maybe that was the reason. As the young shinobi avoided bumping into a worker carrying a vase, Naruto's memories of his friend came to his mind. His best friend... could he kill him? Was the Uchiha worth more to him than Sakura? The boy grunted in frustration. Love was such a complicated thing, especially when you grew up with no one to show you.
No wonder nobody loves you... not even... Her venomous words repeated inside his head.
His dejected expression got worse. Was it true? Did they not love him? Since he'd become a ninja, he rarely spared any thought to the subject. But now, thanks to the pinkette, he couldn't help but wonder again about the same questions that had always bothered him.
Who were they? Where are they? And last, but definetely not least...
"Why did you leave me?..."
The wind carried his whisper, slightly disheveling his hair. Apparently, the breeze would be the only one to bid him farewell when he left. But a familiar voice would soon prove otherwise.
"Oi Naruto!"
"Shikamaru?" Naruto turned his head and found that the pineapple-head did not come alone. With him, were all the boys, even Neji and Shino as well.
"What a drag, we've been looking everywhere for you." He said, lazily scratching the back of his head.
"For me? Why?" The confused blond asked.
"What do you mean 'why' you knucklehead?"
"We heard that you'll be gone for quite a while, so we decided to grab some lunch with you to say goodbye." Neji quickly explained before Kiba could tease the Uzumaki again.
"You guys... would do this for me?" The demon fox holder asked incredulously.
"Of course Naruto-san! We are all going to miss your youthful presence!" Lee exclaimed with fire in his eyes.
"Yeah, I'll show you guys my favorite barbecue spot, you're all going to love it!" Choji's cheerful voice added. Shino simply nodded his head and kept his usual silence.
With a smile forming on his lips, Naruto turned to the Akimichi and asked.
"Do they serve ramen there?"
***X***
As Tenten and Hinata giggled at her story, Ino shot a furtive glance back at the crippled girl. Still not good apparently, but a significant improvement of when she had found her alone and crying next to a park bench. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened as Sakura had meekly avoided the subject.
"Oi baa-chan!" Tenten called the old lady responsible for the sweet shop. "Could you get me more tea please?"
"A-a-and some dango too." Hinata's timid voice added.
"Of course my dearies." The woman replied with a smile.
The Yamanaka had thought that getting the girls to go out would be a splendid idea to cheer up her poor pink-headed friend. But that barely seemed to be working. The Haruno had scarcely said anything since they had arrived there, giving Hinata a serious run for her money about who was the quietest one. Ino had this gut instinct, she could tell that there was some other thing going on inside her friend's head, something very dark. She needed to distract Sakura with something else, but what?
It was Tenten's turn to keep their conversation going. She talked about embarassing stories of Lee and their ridiculous sensei. One of them even involved Neji having to wear that hideous green jumpsuit. Ino couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the serious Hyuga in one of those.
"But he still looked cute though." The ninja tools specialist added between their giggles. Her look turned to the other Hyuga with them. "Neh Hinata, you really ought to hook me up with him sometime."
Hinata's face went as red as a tomato after hearing the other kunoichi's request, prompting Ino to laugh some more. She had to say she was surprised, the blonde didn't know the brown-eyed kunoichi was interested in other things other than deadly weapons.
"Oh Tenten, you'll have to forgive Hinata-chan, she's also after a certain someone." The purple-clad ninja chuckled while also giving the girl in question a teasing look. Her response was to become even more red and to stutter something about going to the bathroom.
"Too bad for her though." Tenten paused to drink the last bit of tea from her cup. "Naruto is leaving the village for some time. You wouldn't know when he'd be back, would you Sakura?"
Ino noticed the sudden change of expression on Sakura's face. So that was it? Something involving Naruto then? She watched the jade-eyed girl shake her head as the blonde kunoichi took another mouthful of her purin. She added a mental note to talk to Sakura about that some other time.
"Here you go my dearies." The old lady came back with their orders.
"Neh baa-chan, sorry for causing you trouble." Ino apologized.
"Oh it's no problem at all sweetheart. It's just a bit difficult to run this shop by myself," the old woman paused and rubbed some sweat from her forehead before continuing, "I really ought to retire but can't seem to find anyone to buy this place."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "You don't say..."
A smile appeared on the Yamanaka's face. She just had a brilliant idea to give her friend something to do. She should talk with Ms Haruno about that.
***X***
"Thanks so much you guys, it means a lot to me." Naruto expressed his gratitude with a full belly and the aftertaste of barbecue and Ichiraku ramen on his mouth.
"It's nothing really." Choji replied. "Any chance for us to go out and eat is fine by me." He patted his large gut, even Akamaru seemed to agree with him as he barked.
"All of these calories can't be good for us, what do you say we do laps around the village until the sun sets my friends?" Lee energetically proposed, which earned a collective groan from everybody. The Uzumaki chuckled at the scene. He wished that moment could last a bit longer, but it was time.
"I have to go now. Goodbye everyone, I'll see you in a bit." He spoke. Everyone said their goodbyes to him as well, with the exception of a pineapple-head.
"You guys go ahead of me, I'll catch up later." He told them and accompanied the shinobi in orange that had already started making his way to the gates.
The chunin put his arms behind his head and watched as the pretty clouds moved slightly with the breeze. Today was a rather windy day. They walked together a bit in silence, simply enjoying the presence of one another. Shikamaru let out a sigh and turned his gaze towards the blond who still had a certain depressed look to him.
"Naruto..." He began.
The boy in question turned his head. "Yeah?"
The Nara stopped, Naruto following right after a little confused.
"What is it?" The genin asked again.
"I was talking with the guys earlier." Shikamaru rested his back on a tree bark and enjoyed the pleasant shade. "The news that Sasuke has joined up with Orochimaru got to the rest of the village. It seems he's now in a very complicated situation."
Naruto looked down at his feet, feeling even more alone. "You also think he should die?"
The dark-haired shinobi looked at him with a resolute expression. "No."
The kyuubi holder's eyes went wide, not believing the answer he got.
"We all believe in you Naruto." The young prodigy continued, turning his gaze back to the sky. "We think you can bring Sasuke back into the light."
"I will..." Naruto promised.
The Nara nodded his head and began to part ways. But before he could leave, he felt a hand on his shoulder holding him.
"Shikamaru..." The young kid with emotional cerulean-eyes started. "Could you do me a favor?"
"Yeah, sure." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Could you guys... watch over her?"
He didn't need to be a genius to know who he was talking about. "We can try. I'll talk to Ino about it."
"Thanks." Naruto expressed his gratitude.
"Well," the team ten member yawned and stretched his arms, "all this food made me sleepy. I'm gonna take a nap."
Naruto chuckled and waved him goodbye. His head clear, this time he took the correct path out. Inside his head, his motivation unwavered. Even though he might not have his parents, he still had his friends who believed in him. That was more than enough. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel that there was someone else who also did. The boy's gaze turned to the stone faces of the Hokages, specially the Fourth. It was him that sealed the Ninetails inside him. Naruto didn't know why, but it had to be because he trusted him to carry that burden. And if that was the case, then he couldn't give up.
A smile formed itself on the Uzumaki's face. He was going to show Sakura-chan that he could save Sasuke. That he could bring them both out of the darkness. And he wasn't going back on his word, because that was his ninja way, believe it!
***X***
Mebuki felt a bit nostalgic as she adjusted her daughter on her bed so she'd be comfortable. "Here sweetie."
"Thanks mom..." The paraplegic girl replied emotionless as she felt the softness of the pillow beneath her head.
The widow made her way to the door and briefly glanced at her little girl, turning off the lights and with a motherly tone said. "Good night."
With that, Sakura was left alone with nothing but her thoughts and the moonlight shining through the window to keep her company. The girl felt an enormous hollowness, something awful devoid of everything, forming inside her as she watched the ceiling. Her contemplation unreeled itself as a sad song. A piece in honor of melancholy. As the strings began to play in a solitary rhythm, a lonely voice filled with sorrow sang.
High in her memories of a time that was gone, Sakura danced with her echoes. The ones she quite knew, and the ones she quite didn't. And the one she would miss the most. The one who'd be gone for so very long, she wondered if it'd remember her name. It'd make her stand together on her weak weary bones, stand with her suffering and pain. But she never wanted it to leave; never wanted it to leave; never wanted it to leave... never wanted it to leave.
There was a pause, as the melody continued.
She'd made through the day and into the night, through the misery that swept through her all. From darkness to light, and then darkness again. Until her and her ego did fall. But she never wanted it to leave; never wanted it to leave; never wanted it to leave... never wanted it to leave.
Her hands went to cover her face as the instrument of her lonely fate began its motion and she started crying like she never had before, realizing what she had done.
And she never wanted him to leave; never wanted him to leave; never wanted him to leave...
Never wanted to leave.