Day to Day
A Naruto Fan-fiction
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any bands mentioned, with the exception of Star Pirate Ship.
(A/N: The votes came in, and they are as follows: Shikamaru and Ino with one, Naruto and Hinata with four, Neji and Tenten with five, and Sakura and Sasuke with a whopping nine! This chapter is totally different from the others! I came up with the idea after reading my monthly Shonen Jump-yes, I get Shonen Jump, but mostly for the Naruto, Shaman King and a few others-which had chapters that haven't been released into a manga, and won't be until April! So, if you don't know what a curse seal is and how Sasuke got it and all, you might just have a problem! Anyway, on with the Sakura and Sasuke Special!)
Chapter 16: Memories
Sasuke walked slowly, taking his time, looking around at the bare trees and letting his onyx eyes take everything in. There weren't as many people out today, and the lunch rush had long ended. Snow wouldn't return until the next year now, and soon it would begin to get warm; early winter, early spring. Today a warm front had come in, so he walked in his shorts, sandals and a light jacket. His leg and arm weights were back, and his headband stayed where it always had, perched above his eyes, gleaming proudly. Scratched, nonetheless, but highly noticeable by the younger boys who attended the ninja academy. They raced anywhere there was room and pretended they were big jounins and played ninjas. When they saw Sasuke coming down the street, big and strong, wearing his big headband, their eyes grew wide and sparkled with admiration. One of the five or six boys suddenly shouted, "I'm going to be big and strong like him!" The other boys shouted protests and claimed their own future, while Sasuke smirked. His eyes cut at the boys, and one boy stared at him, a light, toothless smile on his dirty face. Sasuke gave him a cocky smirk, and then he looked forward again and continued to walk. When he was younger, he would stare at the older ninjas defiantly, like saying, "Watch out. I'll get you someday." One time, a jounin had laughed at him, and said to his friend, "Look at that boy. Feisty, ain't he?" The men had laughed and then kept walking.
Sakura, however, was sweet from day one. After age twelve she was more determined and boyish, but no one could never say Haruno Sakura had never been a cute, heart-warming girl. Sasuke had often wondered if that was the reason that he was attracted to Sakura. She was like a little ball of light once she was comfortable! He guessed that the whole reason was this: she made him happy.
Being around her was like spring. It was warm, with gentle breezes. Even when it rained, it was warm and comfortable. Sakura always tried to make him happy, and was the most successful at it. Maybe that was why he had picked her over the dozens of girls that would kill for a date with him.
Like most boys that were serious about being ninjas, they pondered and examined their emotions. Sakura, Ino and Hinata were happy to say they were in love.
In these ponderings, he had realized that Sakura had never stopped trying to make him happy, even when the worst of situations came into play. No matter what, she was there, concerned when he was depressed, smiling when he was upbeat, and cheering him on as he fought.
When they were both thirteen years old, she proved this testament to be true.
(Flashback)
The rain poured hard and the skies were gray. It was a warm day, but the rain pounded down on the earth like a hurricane. The falling droplets were almost too thick to see through, like a glossy, downward moving endless fog.
Sasuke emerged from the darkness, a drunken look on his face as his sharingan eyes expertly looked through the rain and at his friends. An evil smirk twitched, and his face was hidden in shadow.
Across from him lay Naruto, who was sprawled in a mixture of blood, mud and water. In the middle stood Sakura, crying and watching the scene unfold. Naruto, bleeding and beaten, tried to lift himself up, coughing. Sasuke began to prowl closer to him.
Sakura gripped her arms, shivering as she stared at the twisting, spiraling black markings that covered her precious Sasuke's body. He didn't even notice her horror, her tears that slipped down her face as easily as the rain. This wasn't her Sasuke. It couldn't be!
"Sasuke!" she screamed, "Come back!" Neither of the boys noticed her cry.
Naruto finally struggled to his feet, and glared at his comrade with suddenly silted eyes. Claws had emerged from his hands minutes before, and his chakra was larger. Yet he seemed no match for Sasuke and his black, evil markings that Sakura couldn't understand.
Sasuke could feel Sakura's fear, but didn't even twinge. When this person was not here, when he felt that feeling, he would dash to Sakura's side and beat her fears away. It filled that part of him with shame, as he knew that it was him who made her feel that way. He was causing her pain! But he had to.
The voice said he had to.
He had read about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder before, but had never thought of having it himself. Some how, it seemed like he did now. There were few reasons for his actions-he just had to do it. Naruto had to be dead.
Inside his head, he screamed and tried not to, but he had to. It was like there was something inside of him, inhabiting his body, making him do this. Reasons were there, but they hardly mattered. It just had to be done.
Finding reasons made him feel sane. Now, he felt no need for them. Over the past days, he had begun to realize that he was insane, and there was no going back.
He grabbed Naruto by his throat and hoisted him off the ground, smirking.
"Where is your Kyuubi power now, Naruto?" he sneered, "I thought I was powerless against the great fox spirit! But look who's killing who now!" His grip on his friend's throat tightened, and Naruto's eyes widened and he coughed and gasped, gripping his friend's fingers in protest. Naruto closed his eyes and felt air flow through his lungs, attempting to yell but unable to let the air pass through his neck.
Suddenly, he felt something warp around him. It was wet and smooth, and it immediately gripped him.
It was Sakura.
She had suddenly come up and grabbed him.
"Please...please…come back, Sasuke…." she cried, shuddering and digging her nails into Sasuke's skin.
Snarling, Sasuke tossed Naruto. He slid across the mud and hit a tree, and his scream echoed through the clearing in the empty forest. His neck was now covered in long, purple, black and red bruises. She had tried this before-did she really think that the same trick would work now, when he didn't even have control anymore? What the hell was she thinking?
Sasuke turned his eyes to Sakura, who wept and held him in an iron grip.
Unfortunately, this was not iron enough to withstand Sasuke's assault.
Growling, he punched Sakura in the face, and she fell off of him and hit the wet, muddy ground with a thud. When she tried to get up, he kicked her and she hit the ground on her back. She tried to sit up, and he kicked her in the head, making her flip over. Yet, she tried to get up again.
Clearly angry, Sasuke lifted Sakura violently from the ground, gripping her by her arms. She just stared at him with tear-filled eyes that made him what to scream and cry.
He gulped, and stared at this innocent, horror-stricken girl.
Her lip trembled, and then she spoke, ever so softly. "I love you, Sasuke-kun. Come back."
Sasuke's sharingan eyes widened. What? She loved him?
Inside his head, he collapsed and pressed his fingers into his temples. No! He can't hurt her!
The voice spoke, though. 'Kill her. Now. She makes you weak.'
No!
'If you don't kill her, you will only hurt her. She will live forever, loving and waiting for you. Her life will be hell because of you.'
This thought struck him as pure truth, and he wondered.
Then he remembered.
His first time being just with Sakura, when he entered the room and sang her to sleep after she killed her first man.
It hadn't been so long ago.
Did he love her? If he did, she would never hurt.
'You don't love her. Kill her or she will kill herself when she is old and lonely, after living a life of depression.'
Both prospects seemed worthy.
Suddenly, his real self realized something.
As long as Sakura lived, he could never be with her because of his curse seal. He couldn't control his transformations into this monster, and he could kill her.
It was better that she had the chance to forget him, to get over him. It was better to leave as soon as he could so that the few people he held precious wouldn't die.
The plan formed quickly. He would hurt her so bad that she would never love him again. She would hate and despise him. It may hurt him, but at least then she could live a real life, a life she deserved.
With all of the energy he could muster, he leaned close to Sakura's face and hissed, "I hate you. I never want to see your ugly face again."
Sakura's face fell, and she quivered.
"This…Sasuke…this isn't you…."
"Don't deny the truth. It is me. You know it."
"N-n-no…it isn't you…."
"Yes it is."
Sakura froze, and stopped breathing a moment as she stared at Sasuke.
Cold, horrible feelings of accomplishment filled him, and then she spoke.
"As long as you are happy."
He gasped silently.
Her words hit him like bricks.
She tilted her head to the side and smiled lightly with sadness in her eyes.
"Please be happy Sasuke-kun. All I want is for you to be happy." She said.
His eyes softened, and he felt them flicker back to they're normal onyx.
Inside his head, the voice screamed and shouted, while he struggled with over whelming guilt and depression. She was so sweet and pure, how could he be so horrible?
To protect her, that was why.
He dropped Sakura into the mud, and then began to walk away.
The voice screamed and tried to gain back control, but Sasuke could feel it drifting away. It knew. It knew that she was the only thing he could fight hard enough for-enough to kill it.
The black markings began to disappear from his arms, and his weariness began to over take him.
Suddenly, Naruto appeared. Before Sakura's eyes, Naruto took his last bit of chakra and a boost from Kyuubi and knocked Sasuke unconscious with a fierce and swift blow to his head.
(End flashback)
After that, Sasuke under went weeklong sessions with Master Kakashi to control and suppress his curse seal. The sessions were held in a wooden-panel room, and when Sasuke emerged he was too beaten to move. Sakura carried him home every time, treated his wounds and helped him recover. Despite his words, Sakura helped him almost once or twice a week.
It was the third time that he actually spoke to her. Before, he had been so full of guilt that he doubted that she still loved him.
She had been gently cleaning a nasty wound on his arm with a sponge. He had lain in bed, and she sat on a stool in front of a tub of water beside his bed. A black bandanna had held her pink locks back. With as much strength as he could muster at the moment, he had opened his black eyes and looked at her.
She stopped when she saw them, and then looked down to wet the sponge.
"Do you still love me?" he asked quietly.
She froze, and held the sponge mid-air. His question was so sudden, and straight to the point. She wrung out of sponge, and then looked up at him, straight into his eyes, his soul.
"I will always love you." She replied, and then began dabbing his wound again.
He closed his eyes.
"I wanted to protect you…"
"From what?"
She stopped again, looking back into his eyes again when he opened them.
"From me. From what I turned into."
They paused.
"You don't hate me?"
Sasuke lifted a bare, battered hand toward her face, and his mouth twitched lightly as he barely grazed her cheek. She held his hand there with her own hand, and felt her cheeks glow.
"I could never…I hate you."
Sakura had tilted her head and felt tears fill her eyes. A weak smile crossed her face.
"Sasuke, will you promise me something?"
He nodded just barely.
"Don't try to protect me from you, or from your curse seal. I want you to be with me, not run away from me."
He nodded again, and closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.
Sakura had placed his hand delicately by his bedside.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
That day and all of the days that followed was a true test of Sakura's loyalty and her heart. She passed them all.
Sasuke sometimes wondered if he would be able to pass something like that, but knew that he would try if the time came.
He continued his walk, wind blowing his hair behind him, hands in his pockets, and only the slap of his sandals to accompany him.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hey Ya'll!
Yes, more serious, but a definite change from the normal chapters on Sakura and Sasuke. I felt like I was getting in a rut, so I decided to do something different! I also had a reviewer who I will not mention Cough-AKIA BIN ZAID-Cough, cough who requested that I change up some of my chapters.
Speaking of chapters, I'm secretly hoping for you guys to vote for Neji and Tenten because I have THE GREATEST idea for them! So vote!
I realize that this chapter is totally different that my original idea. I promise not to write the rest of my chapters like this or even another Sakura and Sasuke one if you guys don't like it! Just PLEASE review and let me know!
I GOT TWENTY-FOUR REVIEWS! YIPPE! OMG!
I hope I get that much this time! And that you guys enjoyed this change of pace!
Thanks to my reviewers:
Animegirl159 (You didn't get Naruto and Hinata, but did you like this change of pace with Sasuke and Sakura? And thank you so much for the compliment!)
Babykitty2070 (Did you like the Sakura and Sasuke chapter? I hope this is the good story you were searching for!)
Ronkieboy (I'm SO SORRY that this one wasn't simple and sweet! I kind of feel like I screwed up…I hope you liked this, despite the fact that the style was completely upside down…)
Ceres (I know you really liked the Sakura and Sasuke ones, but did you like this change of pace? Let me know your thoughts!)
Little Hinata (Hey, maybe Naruto and Hinata will take the top spot next time! I hope you enjoyed this installment in spite!)
Desert's Gaara (I'm so happy that you enjoyed that last chapter! I really hope you enjoyed this one as much as the last!)
AkiaBinZaid (You're one of the reasons that I took this totally nose dive, so I hope you liked it. I tried to make this totally different from the rest! You see, in my mind, I have the couples a certain way. Before I write things, I play them over and over in my head and tweak them. So before I even tried writing any of these stories, I created their lives, pasts that I haven't read in the manga, incorporated their pasts according to the manga, added in behaviors and mannerisms, and even gave them old jokes and simple past moments. All of those things add up to these characters, and I try to keep it as close to the original ones as I can. In my head, Sasuke liked being simple, and he was never one for planning big things-he lived for the here and now. He and Sakura had a dark past because of his curse seal and tragedies. Sakura makes him open up, and things just flow out like an avalanche when he's near her. He tries so hard to patch it all up, but it just keeps coming. Sorry…I could type forever about how I formed and see these characters…. The worst part is that I do it even when I read normal books and when I write my own original stories! Anyway, I used this to figure out how to make Sakura and Sasuke's chapter totally different from the rest. This seemed perfect! Tell me what you think…I'm really nervous.)
Rachel (I'm so glad you liked that last chapter! I hope you liked this totally different one too!)
Fwoggie (I hope you still really liked this chapter, despite the total change!)
Akira-kun (When I write my chapters they turn up with the flashbacks marked in! then I upload them, and they're not there anymore! I wrote in the flashback this time, so hopefully it showed up!)
Broken Angel, Forgiven Devil (Hey, maybe Naruto and Hinata will be up next! Tell me what you think of this chapter!)
KristiexxNguyen (Oh! I really hope you still liked this chapter!)
? (Vote for Neji and Tenten again! I have this really cool idea for them! So what did you think of this one?)
kanashii-emi (Good luck singing! I hope you liked this chapter!)
aligirl (If I have time, I'll do something for valentines day...if I can even make it…. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!)
warprince2000 (thanks for reviewing, as always!)
Fire Dragon BL (I'm glad you liked the last chapter! How was this one?)
NEJI+TENTENLOVE4EVER (I really hope you liked this chapter! It's a definite twist….)
Akiuchi-shikaku (Um...this is a little different…but it was entertaining, right? Thanks for taking the time to review!)
Sephynarutocloud (Ah…yea, that's me, totally mean. Hope you enjoyed this installment!)
Fierra (Hey, I have this great idea for Neji and Tenten, more of my older style, so vote for them again! I hope you liked this chapter!)
Ayasi (Thanks for reviewing! I really hope that this was enjoyable! I only have one week to go and drama is over! Hopefully, I'll be able to get more reviews in then!)
Bianca (Hey, maybe you should lay off the sugar some. Did you like this chapter?)
Ayane Selznick (Oh darling I need some cheering up! After writing this totally different installment and then reading all of these reviews that like the sweet and simple things, I feel sick! Like I failed everyone! Ugh…I do hope that you liked it, though!)
AnimEvivvErz (I haven't recently written Naruto and Hinata, but hey, maybe next time! I hope you liked this update!)
i-dream-of-blue-eyes (I'm so glad that you laughed! I always imagined Neji having this dry sense of humor…but I never knew anyone would laugh at it! Thanks for reviewing, and let me know what you think of this chapter!)
Thanks,
Vote,
Review,
-IHearVoices