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Chapter 15 - Learning How to Care

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Sasuke remembers the last time he sat on that chair. He was eight years old and had just spent too many days at the hospital to want to be anywhere else but his home. But he had also just lost the only place he could call home, the only people that were making it home. Sasuke had nowhere else to go, so he sat on that chair and waited for Sarutobi Hiruzen to give him a new place to stay.

The situation in which Sasuke finds himself right now is different. He still has no proper place to call his home - his apartment suffices, but only for essential needs, like sleeping and eating. Not to mention there is no way to revive his family; they are dead, and nothing will ever change that.

But he's not as lonely anymore. He's got a team - full of annoying people, yes, but a team nonetheless. And after what they've been through together, he cannot say he doesn't enjoy having them around. It's not that he fancies them, but he revels in the shared experiences, the fact he's got people to trust, people that have his back. That's what Sakura did out there, in Waves, and in a very frightening way at that.

The door to the Hokage's office opens, revealing an Anbu guard wearing a tiger mask. Sasuke stands up tall, as his father taught him, and greats the older man.

"Hokage-sama is ready to hear you, Sasuke-san."

Without a word, the black-haired boy follows the Anbu inside the round office. It is like he remembers: clustered with too many ninja tools and dusty books, with something like steam obscuring the light coming from the closed windows. There is a large table with a tea set on one side of the room and a mahogany desk in the middle.

When Sasuke enters, the Hokage isn't wearing his hat, and the lack of hair remaining on the man's head takes the boy off guard. He never questioned Sarutobi Hiruzen's place as Konoha's strongest shinobi before. But he also never realized how old the man was.

As if sensing the boy's eyes on him, Hiruzen lays down the paperwork in his hands to look at his visitor.

"Uchiha Sasuke. To what do I owe the honour?"

"I wish to talk to you about something, Hokage-sama."

"Does it concern the mission in waves?" Sasuke nods. "Take a seat, please." Hiruzen gestures towards an armchair facing his desk, then takes a sip of tea.

"So..." Sasuke begins.

"Yes, the mission in Waves. Your sensei was there less than thirty minutes ago and briefed me. He also gave me this useless report." The boy's eyes notice Naruto's childish handwriting on the paper in the Hokage's hand. "Next time, could you or Miss Haruno fill it? It would help me."

Again, the Uchiha nods but remains silent.

"Good, good. Now, my boy, what did you want to talk about?"

Sasuke crosses his arms and tries to invoke his father's imposing presence. "The selection of my teammates. On what criteria did you and Iruka base yourselves?"

"Iruka-sensei," Hiruzen corrects before sighing. "I knew this day would come." He gets up and paces the room, his hands clasped behind his back. "You know, Sasuke, it is a laborious task to create the genin teams. And this year was even harder because, well, because of you, of course. I can only think of three other boys who showed as much potential as you when they were your age. The Yondaime, your sensei, and, as you probably know, your brother."

Sasuke's fingers dig inside the flesh of his arms. "Your point," he asks through gritted teeth?

"That no one in your year could match your talent, Sasuke. Not one student."

"So you paired me with two of the worsts?"

Hiruzen stops dead in his tracks and casts him a knowing look. "That's what bothers you?"

"No," Sasuke answers, although the old man seems to already know it. "I was just pointing the flaws in your reasoning."

"Well, thank you, Sasuke, thank you. So," the Hokage returns behind his desk and leans forward, both hands flat on the wooden surface. "If it's not about their skills, what is it, then?"

"Naruto told me about the Kyuubi."

"It would have surprised me if he didn't, after what I gathered from this so-called report," Hiruzen answers as he sits back in his chair. "So, he lost control?"

The old man's collected tone surprises Sasuke. "And he hurt Sakura."

"Ah, yes. I think I read something about that, somewhere between two profanities." Hiruzen chuckles as he flips through the pages.

"You find this funny? I tell you he hurt Sakura, and you laugh?"

"Oh, Sasuke, it was nothing. Miss Haruno isn't at the hospital because of Naruto, but because of her own recklessness. Am I not right?"

Sasuke's eyes narrow. "Maybe."

"Ah-ha! Found it! 'I hurt her, dammit'," reads Hiruzen. "'I shouldn't be a shinobi if I can't control myself. It's unfair'..." The man pauses with an annoyed sigh. "No, my mistake, that's not what I was looking for." His eyes bounce left and right, and he whispers some yadi-yadi-yadas as he reaches the bottom of the page. "Here," he finally says before resuming his reading out loud. "'The bastard had red eyes; it was creepy.'"

Sasuke shifts in his seat when Hiruzen's calculating gaze lands on him. "I got my sharingans if that's what you're wondering."

"And you know what you can do with them, right? That's why you're here. Or at least, part of it."

"So you admit that Naruto and I are on the same team because I can control the beast."

"Only for safety measures."

Sasuke snorts. "Yeah. Right."

"Iruka and I are not the only ones making those decisions, Sasuke," says Hiruzen after thoughtful consideration. "And there is nothing I could have said that would have changed the council's decision. So I took another perspective on this. You are the only two orphans of the year, and I think you could both benefit from being together."

The Hokage's answer takes the black-haired boy by surprise, but he doesn't let it show. Could it be possible that the old man is caring for his shinobis' wellbeing? Sasuke always felt like they were just numbers to him, but perhaps he was wrong. He wonders, though, if his considerations extend to all shinobis...

"What about Sakura?"

Hiruzen links his hands and applies his chin to them. "What about her?"

"Why did you put a civilian on my team?"

"Why," asks Hiruzen? "Do you hate them?"

Sasuke shrugs. "I couldn't care less, as long as they have some skills."

"And Haruno Sakura doesn't?"

"No," he blurts out. "That's not what I meant."

"So, where's the problem?"

"I'm from the most prestigious clan in Konoha," begins Sasuke.

"With the Senju."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The boy shakes his head to dismiss the Hokage's intervention. "So, why put a civilian on my team?"

"Are you asking because you already know the answer, Sasuke?" In front of the boy's silence, Hiruzen sighs. "It was a request from your father."

At the mention of Fugaku, Sasuke gets up and slams his hands against the wooden desk. "What?"

"He's not the first clan member to demand this, though. I've seen that a lot."

"He asked for Sakura to be put on my team?"

"Not Haruno Sakura per se, but a civilian, yes." Then, as an afterthought, Hiruzen adds: "I'm the one who suggested Miss Haruno."

"But why?"

"Her kindness, I suppose."

Sasuke interrupts him. "No, I mean, why ask for a civilian?"

"So you can use her as a shield, of course."

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Sasuke doesn't know for how long they've been following Kabuto through the partially lit corridors. At first, he was on edge. His grip on Sakura's hand was tight, his eyes glued to the silver-haired man before them, ready to react at the first suspicious movement. They could hear an alarm buzzing, and several people were running left and right, avoiding Kabuto's icy glare.

Still, in the middle of this mayhem, Sasuke couldn't refrain from reflecting on what the silver-haired man had said. And these words inevitably led him to that revelation in the Hokage's office, to the fact his father's demand was the source of some of Sakura's sufferings. In the end, Sasuke doesn't know what hurts most; the fact Uchiha Fugaku didn't believe in his youngest son to fight for himself, or the fact the council has accepted using Sakura like it was just a mundane thing.

At a sudden spike of anger towards his father and the village, a burning pain irrupts on his skin. But the bit of guilt he feels for the pinkette tampers the uncomfortable sensation. With a sigh, he remembers the loss of his parents, that he cannot ask for some explanation from his father, some comfort from his mother, and another spike of anger is triggered, this time towards his brother.

This is where he's at, right now, juggling all these emotions, he who is used to feeling nothing. If it wasn't for Sakura's fingers playing with his own or the weight of her concerned stare burning the side of his face, he would probably lose it.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispers at last as if she read his mind. He glances down and meets her beautiful green eyes. She still looks so beaten, so tired and wounded. All this, because of him, because he's not strong enough and cannot finish his own fights. Still, she worries for him, cares for him like no one else ever did since that fateful night. "Sasuke-kun," she repeats, this time with a warm smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure the alarm means Naruto and Kakashi-sensei are close. That everything will be just fine."

Something is unsettling about being so easily read. Sasuke holds Sakura's warm gaze with a mixture of gratitude and discomfort. He never thought her to be perceptive, to be so damn right all the time. A foreign feeling of fondness suddenly engulfs him, and as he detaches his eyes from her own, his fingers tighten around her hand. It's decided; Sasuke never prioritize someone else's needs before, but for Sakura, he will do it. He will ensure her safety. If not for her wellbeing, then, at least, to piss on his father's clan legacy.

"Don't get your hopes up, Sakura-chan," Kabuto answers, snapping Sasuke out of his thoughts. "We're in an anthill, and even a dog's flair would be useless in here."

"I wouldn't underestimate Kakashi-sensei's ninken if I were you," Sakura says with her chin up.

"Oh, I'm not." Kabuto pauses in front of a wooden door and pushes it open. "I'm just planning on making the most of my time with you before he finds us." He beckons them inside, then enters and locks the door behind him.

The teenagers freeze when they register the new scenery. There are beds lined up in front of them, and Sasuke cannot tell if the sheets soaked with blood were once white and if the bumps mean dead people are hidden underneath.

He tries to ignore the smell of death that lingers around him and pulls Sakura closer upon feeling her shake. She tightens her hold on his hand and takes a nervous inhale.

"Is this a morgue?"

Kabuto laughs at Sakura's question but doesn't answer. Instead, he walks to one of the empty beds to remove the stained sheets. Then, he grabs Sakura by the elbow and pulls her forward. Sasuke doesn't let go of her hand and follow them with his heart pounding in his chest. He never had to worry about someone else's safety before, and somehow he feels he's doing poorly. He should take her away from those dead corpses and that awful smell, not follow quietly behind.

"Sit," Kabuto orders, pointing at the bed. The girl glances at Sasuke, unsure of what to do. However, before he can reassure her, the man lifts her by the armpits. She yelps at the sudden action but turns silent upon landing on the bed.

"Careful," Sasuke says, the seal on his neck burning and sending jolts of pain through his body.

Kabuto ignores his warning and brings two chakra-gloved hands closer to the anxious girl.

"Are you going to heal me?"

He snorts at her question and answers with disdain. "Of course not."

A gasp escapes Sakura's lips when the man applies one hand to her chest, only covered by the stained bindings, and one to her face, cupping her cheek roughly. She blushes, and Sasuke knows it is out of discomfort. If only she wasn't so stubborn; she could be wearing his shirt right now.

He fidgets for a moment, then takes a seat beside her, his dark eyes monitoring Kabuto's every movement. Upon sitting, he reclaims Sakura's hand and gives it another reassuring squeeze - the only thing he knows how to do.

After a while, Kabuto steps back, humming softly while pushing his glasses up. "I need to see Hana, now."

"What?" Sasuke's and Sakura's voices echo against the concrete walls.

"I don't even know how to -" Sakura's eyelids close, and she never gets to finish her sentence. Sasuke releases the hand he's holding when her eyes open again and he notices their deep shade of green.

A smirk stretches on Kabuto's lips. "So you're the one in charge," he says excitedly. "Always?"

Hana nods, avoiding Sasuke's intense stare.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

No one acknowledges his question, and Kabuto resumes his examination. "What else can you tell me, Hana-chan?"

The girl nibbles at her bottom lip for a while, eyes searching for something on Kabuto's face. Then she exhales. "I don't know what this is and how it happened. But there was a book in my mother's office. If we could find it... But then, I don't think we can because I was definitely not from this world."

"And what did the book say?"

"A bunch of stuff about Outsutsuki Kaguya."

Kabuto's chakra wavers and he casts her a surprised glance. "Kaguya-sama?" Then, he pushes his glasses up again and grabs a notepad to write this down. "Everything you're telling me stays vague. Is this on purpose? Care to elaborate?"

She casts a nervous look towards Sasuke. "I'm not sure I trust you. You haven't told us what you're going to do with me." She pauses, then adds, still staring at the black-haired boy. "With us three."

"Sasuke-kun will train under Orochimaru-sama in exchange for his body. I shouldn't be the one to present the deal. He'll hear about it in due time." Sasuke's fingers twist the sheets in anger, but he remains silent. He needs to hear about Sakura before doing anything stupid. "As for you, girls, you are at my mercy. I think I know how to separate you two and give you, Hana-chan, a body of your own. But of course, I will need something in return."

"Of course," Sasuke answers through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"

Kabuto finally turns his attention to Sasuke and chuckles. "You won't like it, lover boy."

A spike of chakra courses through Sasuke's veins, and he jumps off the bed to stand defiantly in front of the older man. He doesn't understand why Kabuto insists on seeing them as a "thing", but he gets the underlying threat for Sakura's life hidden under the teasing.

The older man is taller, but not by much, and Sasuke bores his eyes into two grey orbs, waiting for an opening to get the pink-haired girl out of here. He summons his sharingans and the pain it brings makes his face twitch.

"Careful, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto says, eyes assessing the boy's state. "If you release the curse right now, Sakura-chan won't be there to talk you out of it."

"Yes," Hana adds, attracting Sasuke's attention. "And you didn't let him finish. He was about to explain the deal. This is about my life, Sasuke. Stay out of it."

Sasuke glares at the girl but still takes a step back. The idea of losing control again puts things into perspective for the black-haired boy. As much as he cares for Sakura's wellbeing, he doesn't know what he will do to her body now that Hana is in charge. Something is telling him he won't have the same self-control.

"It is also about Sakura's," he says, at last, leaning towards Hana, his sharingans still on.

She frowns. "I know that."

"And I will ensure she stays alive, of course," Kabuto says, interrupting the two. "But I would like to spend more time with her. Sakura-chan's body seems to be the perfect vessel. And I've been working on something for a while now. I think she can help me get through my current obstacles."

Sasuke's heart skips a beat. "Are you talking about the severed heads?"

Kabuto waves him off. "Yes, but you know how civilians are. Their chakra controls are the worst. I made some advancements with one of the Anbus you were travelling with, but his body didn't want to cooperate. Then, here, we have dear Sakura-chan. The civilian with the best chakra control I've ever seen and an interesting predisposition: it's as if she was born to be a vessel. I think I can make it work."

"Make what work?"

Kabuto casts him a haughty look. "None of your business."

"But you can promise her head will stay on?"

The man smirks at Hana's question. "It can be part of the deal, yes."

"Then deal."

"WHAT?" Sasuke grabs Hana by the shoulder and stares down at her. "The fuck? It's definitely not a deal. What is wrong with you? Don't tell me you trust him?"

"Back off, Uchiha," she spats, tearing herself away from his clutch. "I trust him just as much as I trust Kakashi to find a solution that doesn't include my death."

"Kakashi wouldn't just let you die," Sasuke says with a frown.

"Maybe you're right, but I mostly think you're being delusional. I trust no one, Sasuke. No one. Someone already stole my life once. I won't let that happen again. If my mother could do it, I doubt a twenty-something shinobi that hates my guts wouldn't."

"Your mother," Kabuto whispers, scribbling on his notepad. "Interesting."

Sasuke shakes his head but stays silent. The situation is getting worse by the second, and the most imminent threat is directed towards Sakura's life - the girl not even present to discuss the deal that is being made around her body; and that would have probably said yes, anyway, if that ensured everyone else would be happy and safe.

The marks crawl up his neck but this time, nothing can hold them back. Soon, the pain is insufferable, and Sasuke can sense his control slip. His thoughts are getting hectic, violent, gruesome. A smirk stretches on Kabuto's face, putting oil to the already blazing fire in Sasuke's head. Everything turns black for a second, and when his sight comes back, he notices he is holding Kabuto by the throat. Through the man's glasses, a doppelganger is staring right back at him, his face altered by black marks and a weird, foreign smile. Sasuke realizes he's staring at his own reflection and tries to drop the corners of his mouth, but nothing happens. A sudden snap echoes in the room when Kabuto breaks his wrist to free himself. Sasuke waits for the pain, but it never comes. Instead, the fire consuming his body intensifies and he blacks out again. It takes a while for him to realize he is now spitting fire at the silver-haired man. A pink-haired girl screams in pain and hides behind a bed, but he doesn't stop, doesn't care.

"Sasuke!" He sees orange everywhere. His movements constrict, and when he glances down, his dark gaze meets several pairs of cerulean eyes.

"Sasuke. Breathe. You've hurt Sakura."

He recognizes his sensei's voice and the meaning of his words slowly sinks in. He stops struggling against Naruto's hold as the pain subsides.

"The Copycat and the Beast. I wish you would have waited a little longer." Sasuke's eyes trail to Kabuto. When he notices the pink-haired girl clutched in his arms, a spike of chakra sends Naruto's clones flying in every direction, and a growl bubbles in his chest. "I was planning on bringing the girl with me," Kabuto continues with a chuckle, "but maybe I should revise my plan." Sasuke strides towards the man, but Kakashi stops him. The sudden halt creates another wave of rage and pain through the boy's body.

"Do not touch me."

Weirdly, Sasuke agrees with the foreign voice escaping his mouth, but before he can stump his sensei to the ground like a pathetic fly, the older man jumps forward and pierces Kabuto's chest with a hand shining with bolts of lightning.

Hana retreats in one corner as her captor falls limply to the ground. There's a ringing in Sasuke's ears covering his sensei's word, but by the frown obscuring his mismatched eyes, he can tell something's wrong. The black-haired boy casts a furtive glance towards the only girl. She's rolled up in a tight ball, knees against her chest. Her short hair has fallen in front of her eyes, but her little nose still sticks out of the pink locks. His eyes zoom in on her cut lip and swollen jaw, and he can finally think more clearly. He runs a hand through his ebony locks as he lets out a sigh.

A sharp curse from his sensei diverts his attention before he can even take a step forward. Naruto gasps and grips Sasuke's arm, and upon seeing the look of terror plastered on his teammate's face, the black marks on his body recede completely.

The Uchiha's eyes follow Naruto's pointing finger until they land on a silhouette sliding through the interstice of a hidden door.

"Sweet tits, I can't take it anymore, sensei. We have to leave this haunted hole before someone dies."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke pulls away from Naruto's clutch.

"What? Are you fucking blind, Sasuke? A corpse just walked out of the door! A corpse, dammit!" Naruto pulls at his blond locks with crazed eyes. "And why the fuck is there always blood everywhere?"

"Relax, Naruto. It wasn't a corpse," Kakashi says. Sasuke notices his sensei's slouched form and takes a step closer. "That guy uses dead bodies for his substitutions."

Indeed, the man at Kakashi's feet looks nothing like Kabuto, Sasuke realizes suddenly. He flashes his sharingans again, but grunts and closes his eyes at the sudden pain in his neck.

"Well, that's messed up." The males of Team Seven snap their heads towards Hana upon hearing her voice. Sasuke notices Kakashi's calculating eyes assessing her condition and wonders if the silver-haired man can already guess who's in charge.

"Sakura-chan, you're naked! Oh, my god! Your hair!" Naruto lunges forward, but Sasuke pulls him back by the collar.

"My hair?" Hana gets up, offended. "That's the thing you worry about, Naruto? Not the fucking bruises or the blood from my still open wounds - that hurt like hell, by the way? Oh, and Sasuke, thank you for the new one, asshole."

The Uchiha's chest constricts when he notices the burnt flesh on her left arm. He doesn't know what to say, how to answer, so he settles on ignoring her words, hoping Sakura cannot feel the pain from where she is.

"Naruto, give her your ugly vest, at least."

He turns his back on the pinkette and instantly meets his sensei's mismatched eyes. "I will have to look at that as soon as we get out of here, Sasuke." The man says, pointing at his neck. "And I have a lot of questions for you guys."

He nods and glances back at his two teammates. "Before we leave, I want a moment alone with Sakura."

"We shouldn't linger here. We already stayed too long."

"It will only take a minute."

A deep sigh reaches his ears, a sign he won the argument. He walks towards Hana, his hands in his pockets.

"Naruto," Kakashi calls. "Come. We'll make sure the path is clear."

The blond pouts but still follows his sensei out of the room. Sasuke waits until the door clicks before locking eyes with Hana.

"It's Sakura's turn."

She crosses her arms and stares at him. "I know."

"I don't trust you."

"Same here." Their eyes narrow and they hold each other's gaze with building frustration. "I didn't know you had a soft spot, Sasuke."

He should take this as an insult, but the way she says it surprises him. Like she envies him or something. "I don't have to explain myself. Sakura deserves better, that's it."

"I know that. I'm not a monster. And you know you would do the same in my position."

Sasuke diverts his eyes in silent agreement. "Kakashi and I will find a solution. Don't reach out to them again." He gestures to the room. Then he turns to leave but adds in a whisper. "I can't lose her too."

When his hand land on the doorknob, he hears Hana shift behind him. "You know what? I don't really want to waste my time in a hospital bed, anyway. I'll be back in four days."

Relief engulfs him when he glances back and two bright green eyes welcome him.