Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Autumn Leaves

Chapter 2: Fulfilling Broken Promises

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"S-Sakura-chan…"

The pink hair…the pale skin…the green eyes…the rosy lips…

Naruto stood frozen, unable to move, his mind at a state of shock. Sasuke forced himself out of Ororchimaru's control, just to come face to face with those fear-stricken eyes. The exact emerald eyes that held fear when his curse appeared in the death forest.

Sakura's widened eyes returned to her normal size, and her hands shook as she reached up to Sasuke's hand on her chest. She clamped her hands over his, and memories whizzed through the shocked Sasuke's head.

'I've noticed…that you didn't hold my hand anymore.'

Tears fell out of Sasuke's eyes and down his cheeks like rain in a rainstorm. Sakura suddenly coughed up blood, and she fell into Sasuke's arms.

"Sakura!!!"

End of flashback

"I told you, she's dead."

"No she's not…Kakashi told me everything." Sasuke rose from his stool angrily. "Why are you preventing me from looking for her?!?"

"…"

Naruto still sat on his stool, silent and as calm as ever. A very un-Naruto thing to do, which sort of surprised himself.

"Answer me!" Sasuke pounded on the table, which caused the people around to look at them.

"Because I love her!" Naruto yelled.

"I made a promise that you'll never hurt her again…but you did…I'm trying to keep a broken promise!"

Sasuke's eyes widened for a second, and he sat steadily back down on his stool. Naruto turned to leave, but stopped when Sasuke said something.

"I made a promise to her too…and I broke it…but no matter what you say or do…" His voice was cold, emotion-less.

"I'm still going to keep it."

Naruto walked out of the Ichiraku.

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Naruto slowed down his pace as he was panting, his lungs desperate for air. His vision was blurry from the tears that came out of his cerulean eyes. In front of him was a familiar sight.

The bridge.

An image formed in Naruto's head. Sasuke leaning on the railing, himself sleeping on the ground, and Sakura…Sakura sitting down, her head resting on her hands.

Naruto punched a nearby pole.

"Damn it!"

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Sasuke walked out of the Ichiraku with his hands in his pockets, his usual stance. He was headed towards the Hokage's office.

Flashback

"Oh…how nice to see one of my pupils again."

"Aa"

Kakashi motioned Sasuke to sit down on the bamboo mat as they sat in the Japanese Rock Garden. Sasuke had recently come back from killing Itachi, which was not easy. Kakashi, though he did not underestimate his student's abilities, was a bit surprised when Sasuke had come back…and of course, glad.

"How did you do it?" Kakashi said lazily, his eye hovering over the beautiful scenery of the garden.

"…" Sasuke stayed silent for a moment. "Forbidden jutsu."

"Ah…I see." Kakashi glanced at Sasuke with a smile. "So have you spoken with your friend, Naruto?" Kakashi's eye twinkled when he said the word, 'friend.'

"Hai." Sasuke muttered. Actually, he had seen Naruto since months ago. He was visiting Kakashi late even though Kakashi had often visited him at the hospital.

"Good."

"Kakashi."

"Hn?"

"What exactly happened to her…when I was gone?" Sasuke managed to whisper the words out, as if it was a secret no one was supposed to know.

"Aaa." Kakashi smiled under his mask. But under all of that, he was also sad about his student's disappearance. Getting his usual carefree tone, he said, "I knew you were going to ask me…"

"Tell me."

"…"

"Kakashi…sensei…" Sasuke choked the words out. Sasuke never called Kakashi, 'sensei.' He always thought of Kakashi as maybe an older friend, even if he didn't want to admit it.

"…alright." Kakashi was defeated when he saw the desperation on his student's face. Using that suffix usually meant he really needed something. Like that time when Kakashi had refused to let him add another chidori to his limit.

Silence overcame the two for a moment.

"Do you remember that time when you were possesed by Orochimaru?"

Sasuke thought painfully back to his past, to exactly two years ago. Sasuke nodded.

"You destroyed the mid section of Konoha…" Kakashi saw Sasuke flinch. "…the part where Sakura lived in?"

"But you told me she wasn't—"

"I know, she wasn't, but listen…" Kakashi said. "…when you did, hundreds of people died…and one of them was Haruno Satoshi."

"S-Sakura's f-father?"

Kakashi nodded. "Listen carefully…it will all make sense."

"The Haruno family was and is not a clan…but it was a family that specialized in katanas, one-handed, two-handed, hiten-mitsurugi style, bakoutsu-bo style, everything." Kakashi paused and watched Sasuke as he nodded.

"Her family were all experts on wielding katanas, her uncles, aunts, mother, grandmother, everyone…Her family was big, yet too small to be a clan, and they also refused to be…they wanted to continue producing swords and live life off that…and as you know, Sakura was wealthy. The symbol on her red outfit, the circle, do you remember it?

Sasuke nodded and continued staring at Kakashi intently.

"It's the Haruno Family crest, you can see it at the edge of almost all katanas."

"What does this have to do with her disappearance?"

"Patience, Sasuke." Kakashi grinned.

'He hasn't changed a bit.'

"Haruno Satoshi was owner of one of the strongest swords in Konoha. The cursed sword, "Kyoshiro." It's also called a demon sword, do you know why?"

"No."

"Kyoshiro has overwhelming power…its blade never gets dull either. If a piece of hair were to fall on it, it would slice it in half. It gives the wielder excess ki power…but there is also a downfall…"

Sasuke stared intently at Kakashi, having no clue how this was going to lead to the disappearance of Sakura.

"Kyoshiro needs feeding."

Sasuke looked at Kakashi confused.

"Kyoshiro feeds off of the souls of others…so the wielder must constantly kill in order to satisfy its weapon…or it will feed on the soul of its own master. Haruno Satoshi found a way to seal the power so that the curse was not upon him…but…when you destroyed that section of the village, and Haruno Satoshi went with it, the seal was broken."

"And as you know…Sakura's family was not a clan, but it had a similar system that worked like one. After Haruno Satoshi died, the sword was to be passed on through the son or daughter…and…since Sakura was the only existing direct relative, it was given to her…"

Sasuke's eyes widened from all of the information that he has been given. It was so unreal…yet, it was…'But Sakura…how did she even know how to wield a sword?'

"You're probably thinking what Sakura could do with a powerful sword like that…Sasuke, it's time you stopped underestimating people. My student, your friend, Haruno Sakura was an expert in katana-style shinobi arts. I talked to her father once. She even slept with swords next to her since she was born. Haruno Satoshi trained her to be an excellent swordsman. Don't you ever wonder why she didn't do so well as you and Naruto during the missions? You and Naruto trained all your life to ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Sakura trained all her life in shinobi-style katana arts."

"I…I understand."

"I know…you don't learn how to wield one until you're in jounin level…but even though you haven't passed the test, I suppose you're in that level by now…"

"But, it still doesn't make sense…what does that have to do with Sakura's disappearance?"

"Sakura eventually was the heir of Kyoshiro, correct?"

"Hai."

"Kyoshiro is a demonic sword, Sasuke. Sakura can't live around people with that weapon lying around…and…one day…o-one day, she just disappeared." Kakashi's face was overcome by sadness.

Sasuke looked down at his hands. 'It was my fault…I caused all of this…' A teardrop fell onto his clenched fists. Then, a blur of white came upon Sasuke's eyes. Kakashi thrust a tissue at his face.

"You've changed, Sasuke-kun…" Kakashi said grinning.

"Shut up."

"Sasuke." Kakashi's face turned serious. "Dwelling on regret is foolishness…if you want something to be done, you have to take action."

Sasuke thought for a moment, then stood up.

"I'm going to look for her."

End of Flashback

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Sasuke stepped in Tsunade's office. It hadn't changed a bit since the last time he got here when he was recommended for ANBU. The resident of this office hasn't changed a bit either. The blond haired woman was snoring loudly on her desk on top of all of the messy paperwork.

"Ahem." Sasuke cleared his throat rather loudly.

Tsunade jerked up to find the last Uchiha standing before her.

"Long time no see, Sasuke-kun." She smiled as she smoothed her hair with her hands.

"Hn…"

"So what brings you here?"

"I need your permission to leave Konoha for a while."