DISCLAIMER: I own NONE of the original characters of the Manga/Anime series Naruto – they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only hold ownership of this plot and characters unfamiliar to the original Naruto series.
Summary: Long ago, humans had to be cautious of their own being, but now, not only would they have to beware of their own, but the other forms lurking in the dark and even walking amongst us. Fighting against these supernatural beings are the members of the Dark Coven. What will happen when Sakura Haruno, one who greatly despises the supernatural, encounters Sasuke Uchiha, one of the Blood Demons? Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura with an equal amount of Neji/Tenten. Other pairings are included. Enjoy!
WARNING: Vampire Fiction! Please discontinue reading if mild violence, sexual content and aggressive language seem inappropriate to you or is not to your liking!
NOTE: 'Azami'
'Thoughts' Flashbacks
Narrator's POV
~ The Dark Coven ~
Chapter Twelve: The Funeral
Her insides were crumbling. Everything before her – the room and whatever it contained – did not seem real. Time froze and not a single breath of air blew in from the open window. But she felt cold. Ino was saying something to her, but Sakura only saw her lips move, emitting no sound at all.
When she was finally able to snap out of the shock, Sakura found that she had been seated on Ino's bed.
"Are you alright?" Ino asked her and she gently bowed her head in a slow nod.
"You got me scared. You weren't responding and you looked paler than usual," Ino said after a deep sigh. She touched her palm to Sakura's cheek.
"I think I need to be…by myself for a while," Sakura told her worried friend and retreated to her room.
Once her door was locked, she turned around and leaned her back against its surface. Up until now, something wrench intensely in her chest, increasing as she played Ino's words over and over in her head. Suddenly she felt the strength in her knees diminishing and her body began to slump to the ground helplessly.
It did not take long for her vision to become clouded and very soon fat, heated tears emerged from her eyes. And she did nothing to contain them or her sobs.
She felt dirty...and even more scarred than before. She was born to be unlucky. Enduring this...ordeal...seemed impossible. She accepted this as part of her punishment for being the only survivor of her family's massacre, but part of her believed that her punishment would gradually end her life.
Sakura wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand even though they would be soon replaced by new tears.
She was wrong. Death was something she considered a gift, at this point.
Sakura spent a few minutes, sitting there, drowning silently in her misery, until Ino came knocking at her door, informing her about dinner. That was when Sakura decided that she needed to be away from these people; these people who did not have enough trust in her to tell her what they did to her.
To them, she felt like a puppet – something they could control do as they pleased with, just so that their goal could be reached...
Tenten scoured the park and in a matter of seconds, she was able to locate the girl who possessed that unusual bright, pink colored hair. For a moment she simply stood there, watching the young vampire gaze out into the forest at the other side of the lake as she sat at the end of the wooden pier that protruded out into the murky blue mass of water. Her feet had been in the water which had been why Tenten was able to locate her with ease.
By simply looking at her, Tenten was able to relate to Sakura. She had once been in her position. There was a time where she felt lost and did not really understand her purpose of living. Everyone dear to her had left the world; she knew nothing of the love of a family.
Through her struggle for her meaningless survival, she learned to slay remorselessly and soon enough she had lost her heart.
Tenten made her way toward the pier, thinking of what she would say to the troubled young vampire. As she approached, Sakura made no gesture to acknowledge Tenten's presence, but Tenten knew that Sakura had been aware of her arrival from the flow of Sakura's chakra which she felt because of the water.
Wordlessly, Tenten removed her flat-heeled leather ankle boots and taking a seat beside Sakura, she immersed her feet into the water.
For a while the two said nothing; just gazed at the scenery before them. But after a moment, Tenten was the one to break the unwavering and frustrating silence.
"I know how it feels," she began, not taking her eyes off the forest in front of them.
She felt Sakura's gaze drift upon her, but Tenten kept her focus on the mass of greenery and continued to speak when Sakura remained unspoken.
"I too once felt as though I had been leading a worthless life when I was much younger. I didn't have a family; I didn't own riches and had no goals. Most of the time I would ask myself, "What's the point in living?" and I'd often contemplated suicide. But then one day I sat down and did some careful thinking. I thought about why I was deprived of a happy life with parents to love me and cousins to play with. And when I finally accepted the source of my unhappiness, I found a goal; my reason for living."
Tenten paused and faced Sakura, their eyes finally meeting.
"That's what I think you should do too…find the main reason you were deprived a normal life and let your unhappiness be justified. These events all happened because of that prophecy that was made to eliminate Uchiha Madara, right?"
Sakura nodded.
"He's the reason you're suffering, so don't give up without making him pay. If you had died down in those tunnels, the Prophecy would have been nullified and Madara would have already succeeded with his plans. Your parents' deaths which happened as planned by the divine forces, would have been for nothing. I understand what it's like to be forced to become something you despise…but for the sake of those whose lives have been sacrificed for the grand event, you need to bear with what Sasuke did," Tenten said and paused before adding, "Whenever you're ready, please come back. The others are devastated. Even Sasuke's out of it, believe it or not."
Sakura raised her head at Tenten's last sentence. Was he genuinely worried? Yes, he probably was…since without her the Prophecy would be annulled. The thought was deflating.
Then upon realizing what she had been thinking, she cursed herself inwardly for feeling even the slightest bit of hope that Sasuke had been genuinely concerned.
She took a deep breath and casted aside the feeling. Tenten was right. She had to remember the promise she made to her deceased parents – that she would avenge their deaths before she died.
"Who was the one responsible for your unhappiness, Tenten?" Sakura asked on a note of curiosity and also to attempt to understand her character better.
The older vampire's eyes narrowed as her lips curved into a smile.
"You don't need to worry about that. It's being taken care of," she answered, "I'll leave you to your thoughts, but remember what I told you. And please come home soon..."
When Sakura entered the foyer of the mansion, she was greeted by silence. She thought that it was possible that everyone had gone to sleep or were busying themselves with school assignments. However, when she went into the living room, she saw Kakashi sitting on one of the luxurious leather sofas, opposite to the armchair Ino was occupying. Hinata and Neji were also present.
Sakura stood motionless and mutely for a few seconds, contemplating what she should say to them. She felt guilty upon seeing them uneasy. But when their eyes caught sight of her still form at the entrance, Ino quickly scrambled to her feet and rushed over to Sakura, throwing her arms around the girl and embracing her tightly. By the time Ino had released her, Kakashi was already at her side.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much worry," Sakura apologized to everyone before they could say anything. An apology – the acceptance of being wrong – was the best way to begin rectifying any dispute.
"No, Sakura," Kakashi said, stepping up from behind Ino, "It is I who must apologize. I kept you in the dark from something concerning your life and for that I'm…truly sorry."
Sakura listened to his words carefully though that was not needed since they were laced with sincerity.
"It's okay. I'll put all this behind me – the secret-keeping and…the bond. But please don't ever hide anything from me again…if you trust me."
Kakashi nodded and asked if she would be alright and she assured him.
And just as Kakashi, Neji and Hinata were taking their leave, Sakura became uneasy. She could feel a pair of eyes, watching her from somewhere in the house; an unwavering gaze, boldly looking at her.
She remained in the living room when Ino saw the others out the door, still feeling spied upon. Carefully, she took quick glimpses around the room and when her eyes traveled upstairs, there staring right into her gaze was the brooding, younger Uchiha survivor. He stood on the marble balcony with his hands buried in the side pockets of his pants.
For a long time, their eyes remained connected but Sakura, as always, was unable to read whatever had been contained in the charcoal depths. Her breath had caught in her throat at the sight of him. Her thoughts became conflicted. She wanted to confront him, but disagreed with the desire to do so at the same time.
His onyx gaze seemed to burn right through her. Then as she looked on, she realized he was not simply watching her – his look seemed to be scolding her. The way his eyebrows seemed more tightly knitted together than usual highlighted the flaring anger in his eyes.
He was mad at her reckless behavior. And she was not surprised, for she would have been too, if the person considered the means of avenging her family was destroyed because of their thoughtless actions.
He was the first to look away and when he did, he left the balcony, retreating into his room, causing the indistinguishable feeling inside her to gradually dissolve.
Goguryeo (Korea), 1342.
Approaching the compound, a faint smell of blood wafted the air and diffused through the pores of the fabric of her mask. Angered by the assumption that other assassins had been one step ahead of her, she commanded her horse to run faster.
The rusty scent flared her nostrils upon arriving at the compound. The guards were killed; their bodies lay scattered across the small courtyard. When she entered the building she was met with the bodies of servants lifelessly positioned against sword-slashed Changhoji doors, reddened with splatters of blood.
With stealth, she entered the main room and as expected she found her target's body lying on the floor, covered in slashes to the heart and liver. There was no doubt that he was dead. No vampire could possibly survive wounds like that; not even one of noble blood. As she scanned the room, she allowed her body to feel for hints of chakra signatures. But there were either none…or whoever had been present were experts at concealing their chakra. Cautiously, she placed her hand on the hilt of the sheathed tanto (knife) that had been fastened across her lower back.
Judging from the scene, her target was taken by surprise when he had been attacked. It was probable that he had not been given the chance to process the situation when he died. She commended the assassin who carried out the massacre, but she was certainly not happy that she would now be unable to attain the information she wanted.
She inhaled deeply and then let the air out in a frustrated sigh. She had spent nearly fifteen years searching for this man – the vampire named Aidou Shimizu. Through sources upon sources she had finally discovered that Aidou had migrated from Nippon (Japan) to Goguryeo (Korea). But now all of her efforts had gone in vain.
She looked at the dead male once more and her keen eye caught sight of something suspicious; something that could have easily been missed. Aidou's right arm had been stretched out above him on the ground and his index finger appeared to be crookedly pointing at something.
Immediately, she began investigating every inch of every bit of furniture that had been in the directed area. And just when thoughts that nothing existed there had began to surface, she found a note concealed in a white paper envelope beneath several books in a wooden cabinet.
With haste, she removed the folds at the top of the envelope and let the folded note slide out of it and into the right palm of her hand. It had contained exactly what she had been searching for. It was the only thing she would slay one thousand men for without hesitance and remorse, or go one thousand days without the nourishment of blood for. A name. It was the name of the man responsible for the death of her clan.
Clutching the note in her hand, she turned around to take her leave when her eyes fell upon the silhouette at the room's exit.
x.X.x
His eyes met with the assassin's gaze which narrowed in fierce determination to win the fight that was due to come with their encounter. Neji's eyes shifted to the lifeless body of Aidou-san on the wooden floor and then back to the murderer standing beside him. Then his eyes drifted to the white parchment in his hand.
Neji thought back to the letter Aidou-san had sent to the Hyuuga Clan and how seemingly desperate his words sounded. Aidou-san had desperately wanted to meet with them, stating that he had something of great importance to expose. But from what welcomed them as he and Hinata-sama rode into the compound, Neji regrettably came to the realization that they were too late.
Neji concluded that the reason for Aidou-san's slaughter was composed in the parchment that was now in the clutches of the assassin before him, who had been garbed in a pair of black hakama trousers, tucked inside his footwear. A hakamashita and long but sleeveless vest covered his upper body, wearing it outside the trousers, fastened together by a black colored kaku obi (sash) at his waist. The assassin's face, like Neji's, was covered except for his eyes. His attire was Japanese or very similar.
Unsheathing his katana Neji said to the assassin in fluent Hangugo (Korean language), "If you give me the note, you will live."
"Aniyo," the assassin responded, mirroring Neji's action as he tucked the note somewhere inside his hakamashita.
Then they lunged at each other without another word; and metal clashed against metal, but the blades only sliced the wind. The assassin, Neji noted, wielded his sword to slash only at the body's vital organs and he would have succeeded many times had Neji not been careful to block at the right time. A second too early or late would result in a slow and painful death. He aimed at Neji's heart, but when Neji parried the attack, the assassin applied increased strength to his blade against Neji's, pushing him away. Enough space was created between them for the assassin to swiftly twirl and swipe again, but this time he aimed at Neji's lower left side, possibly attempting to slash his kidney or intestine or even both.
When Neji found the chance, he initiated an attack and when the assassin blocked, using his index and middle fingers together, Neji struck at a point on his opponent's chest.
x.X.x
She could not understand why, but even though her opponent's unusual strike missed her heart by almost two inches, it felt as though her heart had been pierced through with a blade, and she had been overcome with such excruciating pain that she fell to her knees and coughed. Then she tasted rusty fluids in her mouth that emerged from the depths of her throat.
"I've hit a tenketsu which is one of many nodes that release chakra. By insertion of some of my chakra into your chakra pathway system, it appears that I've injured your heart. And now you have very little time to live."
The agony was so overbearing that she found it difficult to focus on his words. But after a short moment she was able to register what she had been told.
Who was he to decide her death?
Shutting her eyes for a moment, she recalled what her master, Shin Tae-Hyun, had told her back at the assassins' guild in Nippon…
"Ji Ah, as an assassin you have no right to question the missions you are given. You are forbidden to let your targets live even on a mere whim. It is your duty to complete the tasks handed to you. However, as an assassin, you do have the right to choose whose hand you die by…"
At that recollection, her palm tightened around the hilt of her katana. And in one quick motion, she slashed it at her opponent's knees. Although he was able to avoid the blow, since he had been taken by surprise, his sense of direction had become confused and he fell onto a few pieces of furniture.
By now she was once again on her feet, though it was difficult to keep her balance. Her situation was still critical, however she willed herself to wrestle with death and be the victor, hoping to the Shinto Deities that the odds would be in her favor.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, but I refuse to die by your hand," she told the male, pointing her sword at his lying form on the broken wooden crafts. "Today, I'm the one who shall let you live since you were not my target."
And as she turned on her heel to leave, the sound of something swift, cutting through the air, coming toward her, was brought to her attention.
With the hand which gripped her katana, she was able to deflect the flying kunai. Then she hurried outside to find the weapon's source and cursed when she became face to face with another shinobi. From the hakama worn by her new opponent, she inferred that the woman was a kunoichi. Under the luminous moonlight she was able to see the silvery glow of her opponent's eyes. The kunoichi was a Hyuuga.
Suddenly she was able to make sense of the way she had been injured by the male she had previously fought.
"Are you alright, nii-san?" the woman asked the male in Japanese tongue, who was now emerging from the room's exit behind.
"Hn..."
"I have nothing against the Hyuuga Clan," Ji Ah said to them in Japanese – her native tongue – and when she turned to the male, she added, "however, if you obstruct my way, I shall not hesitate to end your existence."
"We'll see whose existence becomes annihilated," the male responded as he gracefully descended the few stone steps, "I already told you – you have but a few moments to live. Your death is unavoidable."
"And I've already decided that I refuse to let you kill me!" Ji Ah spat and readied her sword.
At this point Ji Ah knew she needed to keep distant from the male. Behind her the female Hyuuga began to close in on her. Fiddling with her free arm a bit, Ji Ah was able to retrieve from within her sleeve, one of her black pearls – a heavy, round bead-like stone that once belonged to her deceased mother. And then she threw them at the male as though she had been handling a shuriken.
Then she threw her body to her right and successfully jagged her elbow into the female Hyuuga's stomach causing her to fall to the ground. She knew that her attack would do no harm to the female Pureblood, but it was enough to keep her down for a bit. Ji Ah was aware that she was in no condition to handle two Pureblood vampires at the same time.
With the remaining strength she had, Ji Ah attempted to charge at the male in front of her once more, but when she was halfway there, a sudden spasm of pain surged through her chest and her balance faltered, but she prevented her entire body from falling to the floor by piercing her katana into the stone ground to support herself.
More blood escaped her lips beneath her mask.
She could hear the male Hyuuga approaching. But inwardly, she urged herself to get up. She refused to let death win and die without accomplishing her life long goal.
"That's enough, Ji Ah," said a male voice behind her. She did not recognize it and doubted that she was familiar with him since everyone she knew had been long dead. But somehow he knew her.
However, she had long been freed of anyone's ownership and chose to never follow anyone's commands. She was no longer a dog bound to the guild of assassins and as a lone assassin; she had attained the right of free will.
Slowly, she began to steady her feet on the ground and when she control her poise, she turned to the person behind her.
He was masked, just like she was and his clothes had been stained with blood; fresh blood. He had recently taken a life…or lives.
"Did you kill Aidou?" she asked the man.
"And what if I did?" he answered guardedly.
"Are you one of his men?" she probed once more.
"And what if I am?"
She said nothing else. For now, she would forget the Hyuuga male for she had been blessed with the opportunity to find the whereabouts of her clan's slayer. Though, just as she had removed her sword from the earth, the newcomer had released a smoke tag, obstructing her vision…
Konoha Cemetery, Present.
Sakura kept pace with the rest of the organization's members as they journeyed on the concrete pathway through the cemetery. Carrying the casket at the front were Itachi, Neji, Kakashi, Sasuke, Shikamaru and someone she did not recognize. From the black suit her wore, she determined he was a male. However, he possessed long, white – almost silver – hair which he kept in a high ponytail.
Sakura noticed that only reputable persons from the organization had taken up the task of carrying Yumi's casket and questioned the stranger's presence during the procession.
"Who is he?" she whispered to Hinata who had been walking right beside her, and gestured at the white-haired man.
"His name is Dan Kato," Hinata answered in her usual soft-spoken voice, "He is the one and only son of Yumi Komagata. He used to be part of the organization, but then he left for some unnamed reason."
That explained why Sakura was not familiar with him. She was unaware that Yumi had a child.
"But because he hadn't clearly explained why he left the Dark Coven, most of the members don't trust him, thinking that he had some sort of ulterior motive," Hinata continued, "He used to be the President of the organization's branch in New York City."
"I see. How many branches does the Dark Coven have?" Sakura asked curiously, keeping her tone hushed.
"One in every state, however the main one is here in Seattle since it's the largest and has the most members."
They rested the wooden casket upon the makeshift bier which had already been prepared a few meters away from Yumi's freshly dug resting area, and the ushers uniformly gathered to the right of the human sized box. Everyone else gathered near the body as the priest performed the required rituals.
The Eulogy was made by Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga Clan and Hinata's father, since Yumi appeared to be well acquainted with the family.
After the burial, Tsunade beckoned Sakura to meet her where she had been conversing with Hiashi Hyuuga and another unfamiliar male character.
Expertly masking her timidity, Sakura strode toward her boss, hoping that her strides were seemingly confident enough.
"Sakura I'd like to introduce you to Danzo Shimura, the founder of the Dark Coven Organizations," Tsunade said to her, extending her arm out in the man's direction in a formal manner of introduction.
Sakura shook his hand, smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
So it had appeared tha there was someone of a higher position than Tsunade's in the organization.
"Oh no, my dear…the pleasure is all mine," Danzo responded with a smirk that charmed her. He seemed to be young – probably in his early twenties. And apart from the scar that took the shape of an 'X' on his chin, his alabaster skin was flawless. But what seemed most enchanting about the man were his gold-colored eyes that made his gaze upon her so spellbinding that she had to almost force herself to look away.
"Though I'm sure we would have met later, I'm glad for the opportunity to finally meet you, Sakura Haruno."
Sakura knew he was not flirting; however it had been an uncontrollable habit for her blood to suddenly rush to her cheeks whenever complimented or making clumsy mistakes in front of people. She had no clue what to say in response, so she simply smiled. She had always believed that a smile was the easiest way of a difficult situation. It was less likely to cause conflict.
Then, almost as though he had sensed her awkward position, Kakashi walked over and greeted Danzo.
"Well if it isn't the busy Danzo Shimura," Kakashi hailed out fondly.
"It certainly has been a long time, Copy Ninja," Danzo responded in the same tone. Sakura took it that the two were well acquainted.
Before she began to look awkward just standing there while the two males engaged in conversation, Sakura courteously asked to be excused and silently slipped away from them.
It was unbelievable – the fact that he was there, only a few meters away from her; within her reach. It tempted her to just pull out the pocket knife her that fingers seemed reluctant to let go of, beneath her black coat, and pierce it through his heart consecutively to her heart's content; until he was in so much agony that he could no longer cry out; until there was no more blood left to bleed from his body.
But how much time would she have to relish in his anguish? The other Dark Coven members were all present. The fact that she was outnumbered only meant that she would be stopped before she could strike him with another blow.
Tenten glanced down. She was impatient…but she could not afford to let her impatience cloud her thinking. She cared nothing for her survival once she had successfully murdered Danzo – she did not care that she would have to suffer the wrath of the Dark Coven members afterward. On the other hand, she needed to be sure that he was dead after she attacked him and for that, time was needed – time which this current moment did not provide.
Tenten glanced up at Danzo once more, her hand still lingering on the hilt of her knife. She could feel the heat radiating from her body. The red was beginning to filter through. If only she had her gun and silver bullets...
Then suddenly the feeling of a hand tightly gripping her arm and forcibly yanking her backward, broke her out of her rage. Her breath caught in her throat as the person behind spun her body around to face him.
"What do you think you're doing!" Neji growled at her, the hint of shock and confusion in his tone.
"Who were you going to pull that knife for? If I remember correctly, your gaze was fixed upon Lord Danzo."
Overcoming the shock quickly, Tenten thought of something to say.
"No…I just…thought I saw someone…strange," she lied immediately in response, knitting her eyebrows together to make her answer convincing enough. And she said her words as though they had not just recently popped into her mind. Having had to act innocent all these years, made this performance child's play.
"Where?" he asked. He seemed to buy her reaction and she rejoiced inwardly at her success. Either she was an expert...or Neji Hyuuga was simply dense.
"There was a man standing behind that guy with the scar – Danzo, you said his name was? – looking quite suspicious. I was merely taking precaution, that's all."
"I see. Where did the man go?"
"I'm not sure. You interrupted my observation," she continued to lie smoothly, staring directly into his pale eyes, "I'll go look around."
He let her go. She seemed to be telling the truth. But for a moment, from behind she looked as though she was about to strike out at Danzo. Also, when he forced her to face him, for a spilt second, he could have sworn he had caught a fleeting look at some sort of murderous intent in her eyes.
"Brother?" a shy voice behind him said softly, causing him to dismiss his thoughts.
"What is it, Lady Hinata?"
"Um…nothing really…well…it's not important or anything, but there's something I felt I should let you know" she said…almost nervously and when he beckoned her to continue, she asked, "Remember that time when we went to seek Aidou-san in Korea at his request?"
He recalled the event vividly in his mind.
"Yes. What of it?"
"I had a dream about it last night. It was almost exactly like the incident – the dead bodies; the duel with the assassin," Hinata told him, "I found it a bit strange that something that happened such a long time ago would resurface in my dreams."
"Hn…that assassin, he certainly was something. I'm sure he's dead by now. After all, I ensured severe internal damage to his heart, so there's nothing to worry about," he guaranteed.
"Yes…I'm sure you're right…"
Tsunade rummaged through her handbag as she walked over to the cemetery's parking lot. Though she had applied for a day off due to the funeral, an unexpected emergency surfaced that only she could attend to since the hospital had been short on staff.
Muttering a few curses under her breath, she placed her bag on the hood of her car, and opened it wider so that she was able to peer into it. The number of items she kept in there was ridiculous, making it difficult to locate her keys.
"Disorganized as always, I see," the voice of the one person she had been trying to avoid said behind her. She ceased her search and raised her head, thinking to herself how unlucky she was and cursing some more as she shut her eyes.
"You haven't changed, Tsunade," the man continued to speak, completely oblivious to her reaction.
Finally she decided to face him. She removed her sunglasses, revealing her hazel eyes to the man.
"Dan," she addressed with a curt bow, "It's been a while."
"Indeed," he agreed with a smile. That smile that she used to fall in love with a long time ago.
"I'm sorry for your loss," she continued, fighting to keep a cool demeanor. But she truly felt sorry for his mother's death.
"We were all expecting it, weren't we? I had enough time to prepare myself mentally for this day," he said to her honestly, "On another note…how have you been?"
"Great…" she said, not knowing what else to say.
Then there was a pregnant silence between them that prolonged her suffering from discomfiture. When it became too much, Tsunade decided to break it by asking what had always come to mind whenever she thought of him.
"Dan, why did you leave the organization?"
He took some time before presenting her with an answer. He sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets and tore his eyes from hers.
"I…" Dan began, "wish I could tell you the real reason why I left. But I believe my reason is something you need to understand and become willing to accept before I can confirm it to you. If I tell you now, you will say that I'm lying. So when the right time comes, you'll understand my departure. I was nice to see your gorgeous face again after so much yearning. Take care, Tsunade..."
And then for a brief moment he took his hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze before releasing it and walking past her. She felt like her heart was in knots. She sucked in some air, shuddering as she did as though she was about to break down and cry. Tsunade could not lie to herself anymore. She still loved him.
"Wait!"
He did as she commanded, but did not look around.
"I just need to know one thing…" Tsunade stated nervously. She was uncertain of whether he would answer truthfully or not. To be honest, she hoped that he would lie to her if the truth was not what she wanted hear.
"Are you working for Madara?"
She said it. And now she waited with her hand clenching the fabric that covered her chest, hoping silently. She could hear her heart thumping as she waited.
And then he spoke.
"I can never betray you, my love…"
Sasuke's eyes traveled from crowd to crowd as he scoured for the face of the annoying blob of pink. It was just something he began doing ever since he sensed her being followed at that time she went to visit her parents' grave in Spokane.
He would occasionally ensure that she was out of danger before carrying on with his business. Of course he did this discreetly. He did not want her to attain the impression that he was stalking her. The fool was certainly inclined to jump to such stupid conclusions.
It was not like he genuinely cared for her wellbeing. She was the bringer of Madara's demise, so she needed to stay alive. After that...the chances of her being in danger would be slim, and he would no longer feel responsible for her welfare.
When he heard her voice somewhere behind him, Sasuke stopped searching.
"Sakura, I'll give you a lift," he heard Ino say to her followed by her acceptance to the offer.
Now she had been walking side by side with him, so when one of the funeral's attendees brushed past her from behind, accidentally nudging her shoulder and causing her balance to falter, Sasuke was able to effortlessly stop her from falling forward.
His left arm had encircled her petite waist from the front, and she instinctively held on to his left shoulder. She smelt of apple blossom, he noted and caught her gaze when she turned her head to face her savior. Her body seemed to tense at the sight of him.
He became unusually displeased when he suddenly realized that she had to see his face in order to recognize him. Should she not know him by his chakra...or more preferably, his touch? He did not even realize that the thought was absurd and was not something he would generally concern himself with.
Their gazes remained locked even as he helped her regain a sturdy posture.
"Hn...Can't even avoid getting bumped into," he muttered.
She did not seem to hear his words, or perhaps she simply decided to ignore them because she just mumbled a soft, 'Thank you'.
Then he added in a more audible tone, "Meet me in the garden's atrium when you arrive back at the mansion." He had come to the decision that there were matters they needed to address.
She nodded curtly to signal that she heard him before hurrying after Ino.
He shook his head in annoyance and let his hand fall to his sides once more.
"Well if it isn't the famous Sasuke Uchiha," he heard a man address him ahead. He looked to where the voice came from and found himself face to face with a smiling Dan Kato.
'What does he want?' Sasuke thought, annoyed by the man's mere presence.
"I heard you found yourself a mate so I just wanted to congratulate you," he teased and put his arm out, "Congratulations."
Not feeling the need to provide the man with explanations he had been in no position to hear, Sasuke simply took his and shook it firmly, and felt a flexible, crisp object slip into his palm. And after a respectful bow, Dan wordlessly left Sasuke to decode what he had given him.
Once Dan was out of sight and Sasuke had reached his car, he quickly unfolded the piece of paper that was handed to him in the disguise of a normal handshake; and he began to read its contents. He assumed that it had to be something of great importance for Dan to move so prudently.
"The child must not be born otherwise the one to whom you've sworn fidelity must be unaware…"
Sakura carefully avoided the puddles of mud as she continued down the cleared pathway to the heart of the garden where Sasuke had told her to meet him. Along the way, she was given company from the various scents of the flora that adorned the place.
The perfume of the roses charmed her and when the wind coursed through the air, it brought with it the scent of the magnolia flowers.
When she reached the heart of the garden, her eyes wandered around until the man standing near the angel fountain, still fully clad in his funeral outfit, came into view.
"You're late," was what he greeted her with.
To that she said nothing and decided to begin discussing her assumption of reason he summoned her.
"If you called me out here to apologize for what you did to me, then forget it. It won't change the past."
"That's not why I wanted to see you," Sasuke stated matter-of-factly, taking a few steps toward her. And she thought of distancing herself, but did not do it. She kept her eyes on his no matter much they threatened to drift down to his perfect lips. It was daring, tempting to feel what they would be like against hers. Would they be soft? How would they...taste?
Her eyes widened upon realizing the forbidden thoughts, and quickly she looked away. Why did this always happen? What were these…confusing feeling? Sometimes she wondered if she really despised the male Pureblood for turning her into a vampire.
"I wanted to tell you about what you should expect from our…bond," he continued when he was satisfied with the distance between them. "In my parents' time, bonding was considered marriage. Treat it however you may…I don't care. The bond means that your soul belongs to me and mine to yours; our bodies are spiritually connected. Therefore if you're in pain or any type of…distress, I will know; the same goes for you."
He paused for a moment to brush away a stray strand of her pink hair off her face, causing her to blush lightly and her body to stiffen at his touch.
"However the thing you need to be most aware of is the mating period that normally occurs for five days at the beginning of every month; and the entire months of September and October," Sasuke stated as though he had been discussing the weather.
"Mating season?" Sakura repeated, disbelieving that there was such a thing.
"I know nothing much of it, however that time is coming. And when it does the only person you will yearn for is me…and you won't stop until you become pregnant. So in order to avoid that, from the time it begins until the time it ends, you'll need to stay away from me," Sasuke warned seriously.
"What do you mean you don't know about it? Aren't you and Karin mates?" Sakura asked once she had broken free from the astonishment.
"No. Karin is merely a pawn whose survival is based on what she…provides for me," he explained and she was surprised that he even bothered to do so.
Sakura nodded gently upon understanding what he said. He was talking about nourishment and…physical pleasures.
"So you're saying that I won't have enough strength to control myself around you?" Sakura asked for a better understanding, sounding slightly offended.
"Exactly. That goes for the both of us. Use your head, Sakura. Neither you nor I've been exposed to this before. We cannot expect to possibly know exactly the kind of effect the season will have on us and how each of us will react to it. So just do as you're told instead of trying to prove yourself," he told her harshly.
He did not want anymore regrets in the future. He was already forced to claim his brother's reincarnated mate; he did not wish to disrespect him further by impregnating her revived form.
"I never said I was going to prove myself to you, Uchiha," she asserted venomously.
"Tomorrow you'll be training with me. Meet me at the grounds at eight," he said, ignoring her last comment and turned to exit their meeting area.
"Sasuke," Sakura called out to him as he left and this time, upon hearing her voice, he stopped to listen but remained with his back turned to her.
"I don't care that this bond is supposed to be the marriage of two souls. In my eyes, it isn't. Because in this age, most people marry out of love and there is none between us; and there never will be. So come what may, I swear that I will never submit to you until my last breath. You are nothing to me but a mentor, merely until the Prophecy is executed," she told him in a firm tone.
"We'll see about that," he muttered below his breath before continuing to leave. Why did he feel so suddenly enraged at her words? Was it not what they both wanted – a clean relationship between a mentor and disciple; between two comrades? He fought the unnatural determined feeling to make her eat her words, and stormed through the garden without looking back.
What did she expect? After all, bonding was like a marriage. But still. She felt that this was too much; too much for just a few days.
Sakura silently hoped that when all of this was over, she would be able to live a normal life – break the contract with the organization, study medicine, obtain her desired career, probably fall in love. No…that last part would never happen. No human would want a female who, for the beginning of each month, would yearn for another male; who could escape death in some cases that would be considered life-threatening to the average human. In other words, no man would love a freak.
Sakura tried desperately to forget her prior conversation with Sasuke so that her training with him would go smoothly and a little less awkward. After retreating from the garden, she indulged herself in some meditation, like Neji had taught her, in hopes of freeing her mind from the pressuring thoughts. She had been worried – worried that she may become dominated, enslaved by the bond.
She looked at her watch again – she had been twenty minutes early, thanks to Kakashi who was needed at the school promptly at eight.
She kicked the dirt on the ground and then walked over to a bench in the stands and seated herself.
'May I make a kind suggestion?' a familiar voice sounded in Sakura's head, startling her. She took a few seconds to process what was happening before she was able to reply.
'Azami! You're alright!' Sakura exclaimed inwardly upon comprehension.
'Yes, and I do apologize for worrying you. I always heard you whenever you called out to me in the past, however I decided not to answer because of the recent events that occurred,' Azami began to explain, 'I was scared of what your reaction would be when you found out about the bond, so I couldn't tell you. But the guilt of not doing so was so much that I figured the less we communicated the better. Forgive me.'
'It's alright. What bothers me the most is the 'mating season' thing.'
'You shouldn't worry. Believe it or not, but I've known you since you were born. So I know that you're a strong young girl. When you determine your mind to achieve something, you succeed. I've seen that countless times from you, dear Sakura.'
At these words, Sakura felt that her nerves seemed to calm down. The tightness in her chest subsided and the lump in her throat was beginning to disappear.
And when Sasuke arrived, Sakura heard nothing more from Azami. The awkwardness between her and the male had still been present; however it had not been as devastating as before.
Without greeting, Sasuke walked over to one of the benches that were on the dusty field and Sakura followed. Then after smoothly unsheathing the sword he had been carrying at his waist, he carefully placed it upon the wooden surface of the bench and took a step back.
He turned around to meet her face, plastered with curiosity.
"Like a phoenix, she will rise,
From the ashes of the fire.
With crimson hate and a strong desire,
She will avenge the betrayed empire.
And with her blood and the power of Kusanagi,
She will defeat the undead army – the duty of the Prophetic Child…"
Looking directly into her midnight green depths, he recited part of the Prophecy and on noticing her confused expression; he explained what their training session would be about.
"It clearly implies that you need to know how to wield my sword," he then enlightened before prompting, "Pick it up..."
"Won't it…'repel' me?" Sakura inquired out of uncertainty, remembering what she had found out about the sword on the day she heard the Prophecy.
"It's true that the sword has chosen me to be its wielder and prevents anyone else from touching it," Sasuke began to voice his opinion, "However since the Prophecy stated that you'll use it to end Madara, then there must be an exception."
Sakura nodded. Perhaps he was right.
She stepped toward the weapon on the bench slowly and bent over the object, her hand outstretched to take it into her grasp as she was instructed. And just as her fingertips were about to brush against the sword's hilt –
"Wait," Sasuke commanded and Sakura pulled back and faced him, giving him a questioning look.
"If anything…uncomfortable…happens, let go of it immediately."
She nearly snorted at the sound of his concern and bounced her head rapidly in another nod before resuming her previous actions. She took one glance at Sasuke who had his arms folded across his chest, before taking the weapon into her hand.
And then before she could process another thought, a stinging surge shot through her entire being, causing agony in practically every part of her body. All she could do was scream out. No matter how hard she tried to release the sword, it seemed to be stuck in her grip. No…that was not it – she had been unable to unclench her fist that was made tightly around the hilt. It was as though there had been an invisible and strongly compelling force between her contact with the weapon.
The piercing choir of high-pitched sounds of the electric current deafened her and seemed to overpower her cries.
She did not realize when her body hit the ground, or when Sasuke got to her level and took her into his arms. Her outer body had become numb, but the pain still coursed through her insides, growing by the second…
A/N: Hello everyone! I had no idea I would get so many reviews in such a short time and I didn't check my emails until ten minutes ago since I was so busy with school stuff. Thank you all so much.
Now I need to let you know that EVERYTHING that happens in this story is linked to Sakura, so it's important that you read every scene. I apologize for not having much SasuSaku, but I can assure you that there will be TONS of it later.
This chapter was very crucial in my eyes because I finally feel as though the plot has started.
I can't say when the other chapter will be updated…but it's about 10% completed.
Once again, I cannot thank you enough and I can't wait to hear your thoughts.
-IzWinchesterDevil
P.S: For those who tried to guess Yumi's son, I did mention his name in the previous chapter He is Dan, Tsunade's ex-lover from the original series. He may be a minor character now, but later his role will be quite essential to the plot.