Hey guys! I was so happy receiving all you guy's comments and love. This past semester has been stressful, but I've graduated and am moving onto the next thing. Unfortunately, that still means long waits in between chapters :'(. I'll try to update when I can though so don't worry.
"I'm not used to being so…mean."
"You think you were mean?"
It was another therapy appointment with Dr. Kin and Sakura was once again feeling conflicted about everything in her life.
In the moment, telling off Kakashi felt good. All those years of pent up resentment were easy to summon up and lash out with. She spent years hating herself and him for what her shinobi career would have been. She and her former teacher had reached a compromise, but she was left feeling…guilty.
It was so out of character for Sakura to stand up for herself. It was why she had attached herself to Ino for so long. Even when she finally clawed her way out of Ino's shadow, there was still a residual guilt attached to it that she never admitted to. It was the same with Sasuke and Kakashi.
Sakura started biting on her fingernails. She still felt bad about that slight she made to Sasuke about Itachi. Their sibling rivalry was a touchy subject and she knew it would hurt him, but he was such a dick sometimes that things came out before she could stop herself.
Dr. Kin adjusted her glasses. She was peering over at Sakura from behind her desk. Sakura fidgeted under the older woman's gaze. It was about to be another hard hitting session.
"Kinda…it felt good telling my former sensei what was on my mind, but as soon as it was over I regretted it. I thought my tone was weird and I was being irrational. I felt like such a loser admitting all that...almost like I had proved him right in a sense. I don't know. I've just never done something like that before."
Dr. Kin considered her words for a moment. Sakura heard the familiar 'hms' and 'ahs' along with infrequent scribbling. Dr. Kin looked up from the pad she was writing on and smiled at Sakura. Sakura awkwardly returned the gesture.
"I don't think you were mean at all, Sakura. What you did was very good actually. You advocated for yourself and you're probably feeling regret because it's not something you've done before or at least on this scale," the woman explained.
Sakura nodded her head. Standing up for herself was fairly new for her. Even though she'd called on a rivalry with Ino years ago, as soon as she returned to the village, the blonde girl was walking all over her again. She didn't think Ino was a bad person, it was her personality after all, but Sakura hated how quickly she lost her backbone whenever she was around her.
"You admitted to me that you were on the verge of quitting, right?" Dr. Kin asked without really caring for an answer. Sakura nodded her head anyway.
"This urge came as a result of his lack of teaching regarding you. It's fair to feel the way that you do. A teacher is supposed to teach and he failed in that area almost causing you not to become a shinobi. There was also favoritism at play from what you explained. I commend you for speaking up for yourself, Sakura. Your insecurities are why you feel weird about demanding that an authoritative figure do what they are supposed to do. I'm glad to have witnessed such a change in you."
Sakura blushed. Whenever she got compliments, she tended to shoo the praise away, but if she'd learned anything from her session today, it was to be more confident in yourself and know that you deserve what you ask for.
"Thank you," Sakura replied shyly.
….
Training was in session, but Karui could hardly stay focused.
Sakura's old team was…interesting. Naruto was a lovable idiot as Sakura had described, but she never went into detail about just how loud he was. Karui made the mistake of standing right next to him and almost lost her hearing as he cheered Sakura on. It was cute, but definitely meant to be taken in doses.
Sakura's relationship with Kakashi seemed to have gotten slightly better. Sakura wasn't outright ignoring him now, but she wasn't exactly going out of her way to speak to him. That was fine with Karui. She could handle the passive aggressive nature of her ex-girlfriend, but animosity was not something she wanted to have to be witness to.
Karui and the others gathered at practice were all watching Sakura, with the help of Yamato, perform her newly acquired wood release style. She watched Sakura carefully as she knitted her eyebrows, perspiration collecting on her brow.
A few grunts later and a blooming forest not indigineous to anything seen in Kumo appeared before her eyes. Naruto whooped loudly and almost knocked her over when he tried to hug her. Kakashi looked thoroughly impressed, but a sad, forlorn look covered his face.
Sasuke was as stoic as ever. Face impassive as stone. But if you looked close enough, you could see the minute raise of his brows. Karui laughed to herself. He was shocked, but too proud to say anything.
Karui walked over to Sakura and hugged her. Sakura jumped a little, probably too unused to Karui's affection for as long as they had been broken up. Sakura blushed as she pulled a flower from one of the trees she made and handed it to Karui.
Jinora walked up just in time to obscure the intimate scene from the confused spectators. Karui held the flower, twiddling it in her hands awkwardly before giving a curt 'thank you' to Sakura. Sakura was a bit embarrassed, but shrugged it off.
"Have you guys been keeping up with your training in the investigation unit?" a concerned Killer Bee called out from across the field. He was standing under the tree Sasuke had perched himself in.
Karui found it odd, but didn't think any more of it. The three girls moaned in unison. Killer Bee let out a hearty laugh. "You guys should check in with Momoko. I'm sure she misses you all's faces."
It didn't take long for everyone to pack up their things and disperse. The walk to the interrogation unit was dreadful. Karui never felt comfortable going near that building. Recent events hadn't helped that either. She felt like she was in a daze as her legs carried her to the building while her mind wandered to the farthest recesses of her mind.
She was still out of it when they reached the building. Jinora shook her awake a little. Karui gulped hard and followed her teammates into the building. She felt her chest tighten with every step. The narrow corridors scared her. Always so constricting with no way out.
People were bustling about. There was noise reverberating off of every wall. As hard as Karui tried, she couldn't fight the way her chest puffed up and down. She was having trouble breathing now. She watched Jinora sign them in. Her hand seemed to move extremely slowly as her pen cursived along a page on a clipboard.
Karui could feel Sakura's hand on her shoulder, but when she looked up, whatever she was trying to say was oddly slurred. Karui held onto her throat. She felt like she would die. It only took a few moments before she collapsed and everything went black.
….
Karui woke up inside of a very familiar room. She was lying on a makeshift bed on the floor, probably the closest thing available when trying to treat her. She sat up and a wet rag fell into her lap. She touched her wet forehead unsure of why she was being treated as if she had a fever when she clearly didn't.
Karui took a gander around the room. There was nothing that truly stood out. It was a typical investigation room – table, chairs, handcuffs, and a window that allowed those from the outside to look in, but not in the reverse.
Just as she found herself about to stand up, Sakura opened the door and bolted over to her. Karui could hardly breath wrapped up in the bear hug Sakura was giving her. She coughed a little before Sakura released her.
"I'm so happy you're okay," the pink-haired girl said, still holding onto Karui.
"I'm fine Sakura, rea-"
A soft pair of lips connected with her own. Karui's body slackened in shock. A few moments passed before Sakura pulled back. She noticed how sullen her friend looked and immediately started panicking.
"I'm so sorry Karui! I didn't mean to. I was just so worried and you looked so scared I-"
"What's going on?" Jinora's monotone rang through the room.
Karui rose up to her feet slowly. "Nothing," she responded in a dejected tone.
If Jinora suspected anything, she made a good job of not paying it any mind. They spent their walk to Momoko's office in silence. Karui made sure to stay ahead of both her teammates. She was sure that Sakura was trailing behind in the back looking just as ashamed as Karui hoped she was. Jinora, forever the mediator, walked in between them making sure they both kept their distance.
Momoko greeted them with open arms. The woman was a peculiar sight with her orange hair and pink eyes, but she'd successfully helped them create a team genjutsu technique that catered to everyone's abilities. She was a special agent working in the torture unit whose genjutsu prowess was outstanding. Having her to teach them, much less anybody, was a feat in and of itself.
Momoko took them to a room with a suspect. They watched him from behind a mirror as the woman debriefed them. "Found this guy by one of the training grounds near the border," she explained. "We can't get much out of him no matter what we do. Torture doesn't work on the fucker 'cause he's from Kiri. I figured if anyone could get some information out of him, it'd be you guys."
The girls nodded in unison. Momoko never called them in for training unless it was something completely out of her power, which was hard for any shinobi to admit.
Karui came into the room first. The man's interrogation room smelled of blood and sweat. She watched the way the blood dribbled down his face from wounds on his head, nose, and mouth. It was disgusting no matter how many times she dealt with it.
She sat down in front of him, watching as his chest heaved up and down between belabored breaths. His hair was soaking wet – from sweat or waterboarding, she couldn't tell. A long horizontal scar ran across his forehead where his headband should've been. His clothes were caked with dirt and grime.
Karui watched him carefully and looked for an opening. In their genjutsu formation, Karui went first. She was the one who excelled at calming down people enough to lower their guard. She would make the first level of genjutsu that consisted of nothing more than an acid naturally formed in the brain – Gamma-Amino Buytric Acid. She was able to access people's minds and heighten the acid's production so that it would be easier to delve deeper into their minds.
Karui took the man's pale hands into her own. "Did you always have that scar?" she asked innocently.
"No," he responded, already falling prey to her genjutsu. "I got it trying to escape from my old man's place. He called it training, but he always seemed more than happy to inflict harm on me. I'm no punk. I couldn't just let him do that to me."
Karui nodded as the man straightened up. He eased into his seat, finally breathing more normally, and leaned into her touch. She held onto his hands tighter. Karui knew to take an opportunity when given.
"Was that recent?"
The mysterious man shook his head. "No. It happened when I was a boy."
"Tell me what happened," she said while pulling his hands closer to her chest.
He began recanting his story to her without much prompting. Sakura came in just as he started. She was in phase two of their genjutsu technique. Sakura was better at accessing the hippocampus – the part of the brain associated with memory. As the man told his story, she was able to access his mind and recreate the vivid imagery he spoke of, almost like they were reliving the memory with him. Karui kept asking questions while Sakura continuously provided them with the scenery of his memories.
Jinora came in for the last step of the genjutsu process. She excelled in torture and had no problem accessing the amygdala – the center of the brain that responds to emotional stimuli, especially fear. Soon, his memories became filled with Jinora's twisted monsters and evil machinations. A simple memory of playing catch with his father turned into a creature with large spikes shooting out of his back and chasing him around until he was completely devoured. The man was paralyzed with fear as he watched his memories morph into horrible scenes of murder.
Karui, with Sakura's guidance, was able to walk them back to the memory of his coming to be in Kumo and the exact details of the mission. All three girls released the genjustu and looked at each other with smiles of pride. Sakura looked like she was coming over to talk to Karui, but Karui came up with an excuse on the fly about needing to talk to the raikage and made an exit.
….
Today was not Sakura's day. Karui was avoiding talking to her completely. It was completely understandable because Sakura was way out of line with that kiss, but she just felt so guilty seeing Karui so…apathetic and knowing she was the cause of it.
In hindsight, Karui having a panic attack in the Interrogation building was nothing to freak out over, but she knew Karui really had to be suffering for her to freak out like that, so, she was so relieved to see her up that she just kissed her. Sakura violated her best friend's boundaries and she hated herself for it. Tonight would definitely be awkward.
She was in her office doing busy work again when she noticed out of the corner of her eye Sasuke wiping down her instruments. She was finishing off another one when he turned to her, an expectant look in his eye. She lifted a brow. What the hell was he doing?
"Are you finished?"
She took a glance around the room. It looked as if he'd been cleaning at the same time she was and everything was spotless as a result. "Yes…?" she answered.
"Good," he said as he strapped on his bag. "Let's go."
Sakura let him walk ahead of her as she lugged her bag over her shoulder. It was a bit heavier today because the two different training sessions she had required different tools. Her super strength allowed her to carry it with ease, but it didn't take away from the fact that it was still really heavy.
Sasuke turned back to see her lagging behind and walked back over to take her bag and slung it over his shoulder. Sakura was still confused but followed behind him anyway. They weren't going in the direction of her apartment at all. He seemed hellbent on getting to wherever he was leading her.
The streets were filled with roaming people. Some friend groups were walking around jovially, occasionally taking care of the drunken friend. There were little families holding their sleeping children over their shoulders, probably laughing at an inside joke. Couples were huddled together speaking sweet nothings into each other's ears.
Sakura blushed as she looked at the back of Sasuke's head. She fought the feeling fluttering in her stomach back down. Those old fantasies were meant to be just that – old fantasies. Hoping for things out of her reach had led her to dangerous paths before.
Sasuke had come to a full stop as Sakura wandered behind him in a daze. She ran into his back and nearly jumped out of her skin. He didn't seem to mind because he walked into what she realized now was a restaurant and ordered a table.
It was nothing too fancy. The service was good and she heard the food was pretty good. She didn't think Sasuke would be walking around finding restaurants in a new town.
They were seated in a booth near the back of the restaurant, next to a window. There was the most awkward pause between them both before the waiter came to ask for their order.
"I'll have the tempura," he said as he handed the menu back to the waiter.
Sakura bit her lip, the reality of eating with someone she hardly knew finally sinking in.
"I'll have a salad," her voice struggled to reach an audible octave.
Sasuke snatched her menu from her hands and passed it onto the waiter. "She'll have what I'm having."
The waiter had already walked away before Sakura could protest. She looked at Sasuke incredulously. "What'd you do that for?"
He shrugged apathetically. Sakura didn't waste her time waiting for an answer.
Sasuke adjusted himself in his seat. When he bent over a little, Sakura could see a black mark on his shoulder near the neck. There were three black tomoe sticking out on his pale skin.
"What's that mark on your neck?" she asked, genuinely concerned. She watched him stiffen. He was obviously uncomfortable, but Sakura wasn't going to let him avoid her question.
"It's just a mark," he half explained. "It helps me get more power."
Sasuke kept his eyes everywhere but at Sakura. She sighed heavily. She hated to be a wet blanket, but this conversation had to happen.
"Me and Naruto were talking a few days ago. He said you're training with Orochimaru…"
Sasuke lifted his head, contempt coloring his features. Sakura didn't back down. She was used to being on the receiving side of those looks. "It's none of your concern."
"I just have to wonder what your motive is for purposefully working with a guy who had every intention of harming you during the Chunnin Exams. I stayed up all night guarding you and Naruto to prevent you from getting that mark," she explained.
He rolled his eyes and scowled. "I never asked you to do that."
"But I did because we were a team."
"We're not now."
There was a devastating pause. They looked in each other's eyes a bit too long. Sasuke's head dipped, eyes covered by his bangs in shame. Sakura sat speechless, not knowing how to respond. There were a million little things hiding in that response. A million uncomfortable things that neither would ever be ready to discuss.
Sakura took a deep breath. This conversation was going nowhere. She saw Sasuke shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye. He absentmindedly placed his hand over the mark.
"I don't want to fight. I just thought you would've been more vigilant about who you train with considering we're on the verge of a war and the Akatsuki's after your 'best friend'."
"He hasn't been proven to be working with them," Sasuke countered as the waiter laid down their plates.
Sakura regarded him with an unmoved look. Sasuke fixated his gaze onto his food.
"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"
Silence passed between them. He focused his energy into eating all his food. Sakura sat, arms folded in front of her steaming hot plate, debating between whether to eat or remain peeved with Sasuke. He lifted his head, unable to bear the weight of her stare any longer.
Sakura remained unimpressed. "Look, all I'm saying is that you should be careful."
And that's a wrap folks :D! Please do leave your thoughts in the comments/reviews, I love reading them. They give me inspiration/motivation to keep writing. See you next time!