Summary: It was between only the two of them, her, a proud Jounin and him, an arrogant but tired Missing Nin. As they speak of their sorrows and their regrets, it's only the rain that can wash it all away and make it right.
Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei.
As Time Passes
Rain Washes the Sorrows Away
She had fallen to the ground, bleeding, battered and tired. Her left eye was starting to blacken, closing slightly as a bump started to form. Clutching her bleeding left arm, she looked at him. She was at his mercy.
He was towering over her, panting and taking in deep breathes. Wounds decorated his body but not quite as serious as hers. He was clutching his right arm, his hand hot because of the burning chakra that had gathered atop his palm. He had the choice of letting her live or not.
"Why don't you just kill me?" she asked bitterly, looking down at the floor. She had never expected her death to be like this, at his hands of all people. She had always wanted her death to be quick, by the time it came.
"I can't," he stated simply as he continued looking down on her. His eyes were flickering between red and black.
"Why can't you? You killed me once six years ago, when you left me in that cold bench," she spat bitterly, looking up at him.
"I didn't mean to," he explained as he continued clutching his arm, staring at her with that passive gaze.
"It's so easy for you to kill, the dead bodies of the three other Konoha Jounin with me prove that fact," she muttered as she motioned for him to look. They were lying in a pool of their own blood.
"They're not you. It's hard to kill you," he said, exasperated. She looked up at him curiously, a cold and hard gaze on her face. "Even if I wanted to, I can't," he added, the same tone of exasperation in his voice.
"I ask you, again, why is it so hard? All you have to do is pick up a weapon and stab it through my heart," she informed with a cold smile on her face. His insides lurched at the idea. "I can tell you the different vital points if you want and ways to kill me instantaneously and painlessly," she added.
"Why would I want you to do that?" he deadpanned, a dark look on his face.
"Okay, you want the torture styles then, I can do that too," she said with the same grin on her face, "I doubted you were ever one to be merciful, even in delivering death."
Rain had started to fall, gently at first. She winced as the water entered her wounds. He stood there, used to the sensation. He had been living in the wild, she in civilization.
"I can't kill you," he said once more as he focused his onyx gaze on her, sitting down beside her. As soon as he was flat on the ground, he reached out his hand and cupped her cheek.
"Don't touch me," she cried out as she moved back, her tears starting to flow unconsciously.
"Am I cold?" he asked innocently, looking up at her, meeting her gaze.
"As cold as Death itself," she murmured, clutching the cheek she had touched. A soft laugh escaped his lips. "What's so funny?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I never imagined you'd say that," he said as he looked at her once more, inching his way towards her. She made no motion to move back. "I'd always imagined you'd say I was warm, expecting that I was cold," he added as he managed to wrap his tired right arm around her waist and pull her towards his body.
"What are you doing!" she asked frantically, her eyes full of fear and worry. She didn't have the energy nor the power to pull away from his tight but gentle hold.
"I'll go with you," he sighed as he looked at her once more, all traces of seriousness on his face.
"Go with me?" she asked weakly, her resolve to not fall under his spell weakening as time passed by.
"To Konoha, I'll go with you to Konoha. I'll surrender myself to them and leave my life at their mercy," he sighed once more, his lips barely an inch away from her own. Her cheeks started to redden even further as the rain poured harder. "I'm tired, won't you give me rest and shelter?" he asked, his voice giving away his already evident fatigue. Without waiting for her response, his lips touched hers as they met in a soul-searing kiss.
They had forgotten that he was a Missing Nin and that she was a Jounin, a Hunter Nin because of him. Her mask had fallen, painted black and red because of his eyes. She had forgotten that it was her duty to kill him in the process of the fight or bring him back to Konoha so the proper authorities could decide on his fate. They had forgotten everything while their lips met in a kiss of frustration, for all the years they had been deprived of each other, and passion, for all the years they had waited for each other.
They were back in Konoha the evening after. Their Jounin sensei and the Godaime Hokage were waiting at the gates, for any sign of the team of Hunter Nin dispatched. The Jounin had rushed to pry away the Missing Nin from her. The Godaime had rushed to hold the Hunter Nin she had fondly treated as her own daughter.
It had been two weeks since he had arrived. He was a phantom in his own Village, always escorted around the place with an entire ANBU platoon to the very limited areas he could go to. She had occasionally seen him but never said a word. Today was the day of the verdict, the sky darkening as they day they had met in battle.
"You have committed various crimes against Konohagakure no Sato," came the Godaime's strong voice. She was behind the Godaime, invisible tears sliding down her face. "Betraying the Village to go to the Sound, slaying lives of a various politicians for money and slaying Nin from Konoha who were out to bring you back are but a few of your crimes," the Godaime spoke once more. She winced as the Godaime spoke of his deeds for the past six years. "And yet, you came back out of your own free will," she added. All eyes were on the Godaime as they waited for the verdict. "Your crimes are enough to warrant your execution," she began once more, her brown gaze, steely, "But you came back out of your own free will, knowing this. Am I correct?"
"Aa," he said with a nod. The rain had started to fall as the sky blackened even further.
"Why did you do this? You could have continued to live outside of these walls for a much longer time. There is nothing for you here," spoke the Godaime, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm tired; I want a place to rest. He is dead already and I have no more purpose," he explained, his tone bitter. She watched him intently, wondering what he would say next. "Yet, when I met her, I had suddenly found it, a place to rest, shelter I can call my own. Let me rest with her, even if I have to die. I know she will at least visit my grave," he finished, tiredness escaping his lips.
"Confident, aren't you?" said the Godaime as she looked at him. He nodded once more. "You have been hereby declared guilty of all aforementioned and unmentioned crimes done during the six years you have evaded Konoha's custody," she spoke, her voice harsh. The villagers were saddened at the loss of the final member of a once glorious Clan, extinct after eighteen years since his birth. "And yet, because you came home of your own free will, you are hereby sentenced to two years of absolutely no ninja-related activity and community work during the aforementioned timeframe," she finished.
"E-excuse m-me?" he sputtered, something that he never did.
"Yes, you heard me correctly," she said as she looked over her shoulder, tears of unbridled joy falling from her student's face, "You are forgiven. You will be put under the watch of an ANBU twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for the next two years, shorter if I deem it appropriate."
He didn't have a chance to speak as she launched herself towards him, kissing him. Her pink hair covered their faces. She didn't care that the entire village was looking at them, that the Godaime had an exasperated look on her face. What she cared about was that he was alive and forgiven.
"I'd always known it would be her who would bring him home. I never expected that she would be his purpose to live now," she said to herself as she turned away, letting the two enjoy the fact that he was alive now and for the coming years. Minutes later, everyone had dispersed and it was only the two of them left.
"Sasuke-kun, I love you," she whispered, her lips wet because of the pouring rain.
"I love you, Sakura," he returned before pulling her into another kiss.
The rain washed away their sorrows, their regrets. The rain was cleaning them both of everything. Rain, after all, truly does wash the sorrows away, given enough time and reason to do so.
--- Owari ---
Almost the entire story was sad! Except the end, though.
Hopefully, the reason given by Tsunade about Sasuke being pardoned is good enough, as is the punishment. Give me constructive criticism on that!
It was raining slightly here when I started to write that. Random fact I thought I'd like to point out.
Check out my fanfiction archive. The URL is: http / fidelis .hakkai .net
Take out the spaces and you're there. I advise you to check it out because there may be fanfics there that aren't in fanfictionNET.
In any case, these stories aren't going to be long, since they're the type devoid of any major storyline. If these one-shots inspire you to write any more, by all means go ahead.