Chapter 58: Truly Cursed
When he awoke the tingling of skin was all he could feel. It wasn't the same feeling one got when they were overwhelmed with excitement, nor the feeling of fear that would crawl across one's body when they were faced with certain death. No, this tingle was far more disconcerting. As he awoke, Sasuke felt the awful feeling of his soul, his being, squeezing into a body that was much too small. The Uchiha had to fight the nagging urge to take his nails to his skin and scratch until a bit of it gave way and provided the tiniest of reliefs to his mind. He knew, though, that such a thing wouldn't work. None of it ever did. If he was waking up so terribly then it would have to be an ailment he would have to endure until the next morning.
Sasuke removed himself from his bed at a peaceful hour of the morning, not so early as he usually had to when he trained with Kakashi but also not late enough to make a mark on the day as a whole. For whatever reason, Kakashi forewent their training this morning, making it a rare morning that Sasuke could have to himself. As his breakfast cooked, the young chunin tried to ease the tension in his body and mind, flexing his neck from one side to the other, consistently opening and closing his fists, and opening his mouth as wide as he could before closing it and clenching his teeth tightly. None of it worked but it did well to temporarily take his mind off of himself.
After his breakfast and dressing for the day ahead, Sasuke walked out of his front door and immediately his frustrations mounted once again. In the distance, raised above the rest of the village in a monumental overhang, Sasuke caught a glimpse of his sensei's face half-carved into the stone face of the Hokage monument. It should've been a feeling of pride that erupted in his chest that bloomed as he basked in the honor it was to have his own teacher be one of the few that would ever wear the Hokage's hat, especially when he was still training with the man almost every morning, but of course, those fanciful emotions were harshly cast aside for mounting frustration that only could be mitigated with physical exertion. His only destination now had to be his training grounds within the compound.
It wasn't like Sasuke wanted to feel this way. In a convoluted way, he truly didn't feel any frustration toward his sensei. However, the Uchiha wasn't designed for intricacies as he was now. Now, when Sasuke thought of Kakashi, he could only hear the condescending tone he always spoke with, he could see the dead-eyed stare he would receive after everything they did, he remembered all the times training was stopped because Kakashi didn't think he could take it, and, most of all, Sasuke thought of all the wasted time they've spent doing the same things since he was marked with the awful thing on his neck. No longer was he Kakashi's student that he cared for. Now, Sasuke was only a burden that had to be handled. A chakra filled fist blundered into the harsh bark of an oak as those thoughts flowed into him, any thoughts of pain or soreness that rattled through his body were set in the recesses of his mind.
"Come to me, Sasuke. Come to me and I'll help you become one with the gift I've bestowed upon you, I'll push you to places you never thought possible, and I'll grant you the ability to take Itachi's head. All you must do is come to me." The slippery voice slithered through the other thoughts that muddled within his skull. His fist retracted from the bark only to be soon replaced by the other fist, and then again and again in a burst of energy, fury, and choked yells.
He hated not having a mind of his own anymore.
Sasuke tried to take Anko's advice. She was constantly giving him harsh truths and honest insight anytime she saw him losing it, but peace only came in short bursts these days. Sasuke made it a point to rationalize why he shouldn't even bother considering the Snake's offer, an offer from a man as infamous as his own brother, but rationale came and went. The only time he could be free of it all was when he was in the midst of a spar with his teacher or his teammates. Only in a fight did he feel normal again.
The state Sasuke has been put in made him almost dependent on Naruto and Sakura after he met with Kakashi. He always waited for them on their training ground, he always was the first to challenge someone to a bout, and he was always trying to push the limits when one of them called it quits. Usually, it was Naruto that had to pull him back, Sakura's stamina not nearly enough to keep up with them through the evening, and it was usually Sasuke that pulled his fellow chunin into some kind of shouting match. Like Kakashi, when Naruto saw him battling harshly with the mark on his neck, the bastard would put an end to it. He always assumed Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, just like Kakashi did.
"Just listen to me, Sasuke, I'm trying to help you. I got a seal on me too, don't I? We both know it's better not to push too hard." He would end up having to tell him, making the Uchiha stomp off with huffs and scoffs rumbling through his throat, and everytime, when all was settled and Sasuke was back alone in his home, did Sasuke acknowledge how right he was. He was spiraling, becoming a burden on those around him, and Sasuke didn't know how to stop it. It made it hard not to consider Orochimaru's offer. Wouldn't it just be easier? How could it not be? Why wouldn't he follow the man that saved his dreams from Itachi's massacre and saved his parents from that bloodied blade?
Nothing made sense anymore.
Sasuke finished the exertions he needed to get out within the wooded training area that young Uchiha used to frequent within his compound. He cleaned up his hands as best as he could, hiding any evidence of the questionable training practices with bandages to hide how torn up his skin was from his teammates, though he was sure they would see through it. They've known him long enough, they were smart enough, and the recent weeks have been telling enough for them to see through the pitiful attempts at hiding the cuts on his knuckles and shins that showed his exerted aggression. Still, that didn't stop the boy from doing it all the same and it never slowed him from journeying out to the meeting place of Training Ground 3.
He seated himself next to the flowing river that cut through the training ground, looking into it to inspect the reflection that stared back at him as he waited for the other two that were supposed to join him. His hair, though normally a bit on the wild side so long as it wasn't compared to Naruto's, was unkempt and noticeably ruffled. Bags hung freely from his eyes and were painted a concerning purple from his questionable sleep schedule. Deep creases made themselves known in his brow and around his mouth from the constant straining his facial muscles did to keep up with the scowling that showed itself most of the day. Seeing himself here, even on a clouded and depressing day like today, made Sasuke understand the pity he would see in Kakashi's eyes. It made the Uchiha's hate filter from his well-meaning sensei to himself in almost an instant and there was no stopping the growl that escaped his lips.
"Growling at yourself? I thought it was Naruto that was supposed to be half a fox?" Came the amused chuckle of Sakura from behind the Uchiha, making the boy turn from his almost narcissistic staring and look behind him. The teasing smirk on Sakura was as clear and obvious as the girl's green eyes that gazed back at him. She reached behind her to unstrap the puppet that was wrapped up like Kankuro's puppet usually was and set it down before she took a seat next to him. Playfully, the girl leaned forward to peek at the water's surface like he had as the girl kept her airy demeanor. "What are we looking at?"
Ever since she learned of his Curse Mark, and after Sasuke had to practically force her to calm her overbearingness, Sakura made it a point to be as playful as she could to keep the tone light. At first, like most things these days, Sasuke took much annoyance at the behavior, but it quickly grew on him as most things did with his teammates. As Sasuke turned back to the water's surface and caught the green eyes of his teammate that stared back at him, the Uchiha covered his own chuckle with a puff of air passing through his nostrils.
"I'm just realizing how hard I am to look at these days." He half-joked back, trying to find some lightness to fit into his rasped voice. He caught the look Sakura tried to hide, the faltering smile that tried to dip into a deep frown before the girl caught herself. He always caught those things. It was hard to lie to an Uchiha's eyes, but to her credit, Sakura didn't falter in her words afterward.
"Yeah, it's not great, but between you and Naruto it's something I'm used to." She smiled at him for a moment before turning a bit more serious. "You'll get better, it's only a matter of time, Sasuke." She finished and Sasuke tried to match her optimism, but his mouth wouldn't let him pull off a full smile, settling rather for a pathetic attempt at one. Before he could respond, a thump came from his opposite side as a hand found itself on Sasuke's shoulder and nudged him to look over at the gleaming blue eye of his other teammate.
"She's right, soon you'll be back to your normal sour-puss and scoffing like it never left." The small chuckle he let out was the most anyone could get from him these days, but when it came it was always these two that brought it about. Again, it wasn't lost on Sasuke that he was damn-near dependent on the two on either side of him to provide any deviation to his muddled mind. The only response he had for Naruto, though, was a push that he tried to direct toward the flowing river. His palm jammed roughly into Naruto's flak jacket covered back, thrusting him toward the water but not before the blonde could flicker away in a heavy waft of air that halted any attempts at submerging the Uzumaki. "That's how we want to play it?"
Slowly making his way to his feet, Sasuke made it a point to carefully brush off the dirt from his pants that gathered in his seat by the river as he turned to look at Naruto. The Uzumaki was standing with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in a clear challenge that was met perfectly by Sasuke's own gaze, the two staring at each other silently. Sakura's grumblings about annoying boys that don't know how to just relax was thoroughly ignored by the two chunin, but neither moved despite the clear initiation of their spar. The pair have fought each other more than they've battled their instructors, they knew each other's moves clearly and whatever strategies the other would use like they knew of their own. No longer could they just rush at each other blindly, lest they want a quick and hard wake up call from the other's fist or foot.
Sasuke let his hand precariously meander toward his weapons pouch that sat at his right thigh, pulling a kunai into his hand before anything else. Naruto, however, knew better than to try and make it a battle of throwing knives with an Uchiha. The Uzumaki also knew better than to meet his gaze now that they were officially starting their sparring, settling his gaze down at Sasuke's chest even without the Sharingan activated. Without so much as a hint of initiation, no sign given from either combatant or the world around them, Naruto and Sasuke sprung toward each other and began the dance that they always danced to try and get the better of one another.
It was all going well, just as he had hoped. Be it he and Naruto, he and Sakura, or being a bystander to Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke was able to pull himself from the trappings of his own mind and ailments to appreciate what was ahead of him. He would go toe-to-toe with Naruto and then appreciate the progress that Sakura would demonstrate with her puppeteering, watch as the girl got more and more proficient in dancing with her humanoid doll that moved with her almost seamlessly. But, as there always was, the decline was sure to come. As the hours passed, Sasuke felt the fatigue in his body mount increasingly so, as the sun began to set behind the thick clouds that sat in the sky and the light drained from the world around them, all energy found itself leaving Sasuke's body. Sakura long since tapped out to regain herself and tend to the blank doll she sparred with and it was now only he and Naruto staring across from each other in the mostly flat field of their training ground.
Aches riddled his muscles, stiffness plagued his joints, and sharp pains stabbed in his bones and ligaments. Most of all, two fang like jabs seared into the neck at the very point Kabuto marked him with the thrice-damned Cursed Seal. The constant nag of Orochimaru's influence was all the more present and it was getting harder and harder to merely set it to the side. Across from him, Naruto looked comparatively unscathed. Sure, he had dirt marring his clothes and skin, bruises darkened a few spots on his face, and knicks scratched the surface of his clothes and flak jacket, but none of it showed the boy as run-down. Naruto still stood straight, his breathing was as calm as ever, and it was the Uzumaki that waited on him to prepare for the next round. Naruto's eyes were looking at Sasuke Uchiha with the same pity that he would spot in Kakashi's eye, no doubt looking for a reason to call the night for them. Before the words could pass the Jichuuriki's lips, Sasuke initiated the next round of their back and forth.
"Lightning Style: Arcing Current!" The seals flowed just as seamlessly as the lightning did as the pale blue energy danced off of his swinging arm and lanced toward the stationary Uzumaki. Though when it reached its target, all the lightning hit was the loose dirt that Naruto once stood atop, the boy having already pushed himself into a roll to his right before the hit could land. Sasuke's Sharingan tracked Naruto as he charged forward, taking note of the blood and hand seals of the well used Summoning Jutsu that forced Sasuke to stand sturdy on his ground. Naruto's toads were too versatile to allow himself to be hasty in his evasions, especially as fatigued as he already was. Instead, Sasuke watched as Naruto took only three extended strides before slamming his hand on the ground and clouding his visage from the Uchiha's eyes.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto's voice called, but it wasn't blonde hair that Sasuke was met with through the cloud of smoke. What pressed through the fog was the metal face of a circular shield that was partnered closely by a large curved blade, both of which being much too big for the black and magenta toad that wielded them. Ground that separated Sasuke from his adversary, that now happened to be of the amphibious persuasion, was covered swiftly by a shallow hop that kept the armed toad gliding close to the ground. The shield arm remained sturdy in-place as the sword in the toad's right hand angled itself upward slightly in preparation to swipe at Sasuke's form. Red eyes were spinning aggressively as they tracked the many possible arcing swings that could've been launched at him. Without a consciously thought plan, Sasuke was diving to his right as a hand dove into his weapons pouch to pull a kunai from it. The blunted edge of the toad's blade only caught air, air that blew a breeze through Sasuke's hair as his body and line of sight angled under and around the toad's defenses, giving him a clear line of sight.
In a flash of finesse, the kunai that was clutched in Sasuke's right hand swung on the tip of his middle finger and then flew forward just under the charging toad's swinging arm and found a place right in the ribs of the summoned animal. Another cloud of smoke filled his vision from the dispelling of the shortly entertained summoned animal and Sasuke used the brief reprieve as a chance to reorientate himself to his feet. Sasuke was crouched as he tried to peek through the slowly dissipating cloud, eyes poking around for any evidence of his adversary as the Uchiha tried to catch his breath. There was little waiting to be had as spiked blonde hair and a whiskered face became visible through the fog after only a few caught breaths. Sasuke was helpless to react to the sudden appearance of the Uzumaki outside of the straightening of his legs and the crossing of his arms to prepare for the attack at hand. The Sharingan spotted the accumulation of chakra, the pinched fingers in front of the Uzumaki's mouth, and the deep breath that his teammate's lungs held, making the following jutsu less of a shock to his system.
"Wind Style: Breakthrough!" Naruto called forward, bringing with him a percussive flush of wind that impacted the whole of the front half of Sasuke's body. Feet left the ground quickly, followed quickly by the harsh landing of his upper back that was followed by his knees that flailed to his shoulder, then his other shoulder, and then finally back to rest as he scraped across the dirt on his stomach.
Sasuke's head rang, but it wasn't particularly from the blow he just received from his sparring partner. Blood was pumping harshly, but he couldn't necessarily call it the rush of battle or anything similar. What Sasuke could bring attention to was the pain that thoroughly racked his mind. Subconsciously, deeply hidden, the Uchiha knew of Tsunade Senju's warnings of his exertion and the tax that was being tolled on his body. At this moment, consciously, Sasuke was feeling exactly what those warnings meant and how awful they really were. His back felt tight to an unbearable degree, his left shoulder refused any kind of meaningful movements in Sasuke's labors to a knee, and the knee that was bent in front of his eyes throbbed something awful. If Sasuke was asked to put a word to it, he'd say he was a corpse that was granted the curse of living once again. He never opened eyes, gracing himself with whatever condescending look that was plastered on his teammate's face as he shouted words that never made it to Sasuke's ears. Instead, the Uchiha turned his face skyward like he was to bathe in the sunlight that was dwindling behind the thick blanket of clouds above them.
"I can make you better, Sasuke. I can make you strong." Came the delicate whisper of the serpent within his mind. It was so delicate that it was almost lost to everything else around him and in an oddly sharp contrast to the vicious tug that the seal upon his neck made at his mind. For whatever reason, be it the pain or frustrations that mounted over the past weeks, Sasuke didn't have the strength to rebuff the charge. That, or he simply didn't want to. In a flood that wrapped him up like a warm blanket, all of Sasuke's worries and harm seemed to disappear. The weakness that perpetually filled him was replaced by the strength of a hundred men, the pains in his body were soothed and healed in only seconds, and whatever fog that covered his brain lifted as Sasuke stood to his full height. He turned his gaze from the sky to Naruto in front of him, his fellow chunin's face pulled into a deep scowl.
"Sasuke, get a hold of yourself! Let's stop so you can get some rest and calm down." Perhaps if he was the Sasuke of only minutes ago, he would have felt offense at the tone of the Jinchuuriki's words. Now, it was only mild amusement at best, but not one that was born out of any true humor. It was amusing that someone like him would think to speak to Sasuke Uchiha like that.
"You think something like that would put me out, Naruto? No, not even close. Let me show you real strength, Uzumaki. I'll show you the level we would need to take it to put me down." The arm he could move only moments ago was more than fine enough to meet its twin in forming the necessary nine hand seals that Sasuke had in mind. It moved even better to brace his right arm as crackling lightning arced at the tip of his fingers. Excitement filled him, excitement that only mounted as the arcing lightning exploded outward in a mass of raw power. The sheer strength of the Chidori at his fingertips muddled the voice of Sakura that yelled out to him and blocked whatever reassurance Naruto met her with. All Sasuke knew was that when he refocused his eyes in front of him, he was met with determined blue eyes that needed to be taught to see who held real strength.
"Chidori!" He grunted out through his flexed neck muscles, holding the technique for only a few seconds longer before he exploded forward in a single-minded charge. His eyes did end up losing their hold on Naruto's choosing instead to find the spot just off centerline of the Uzumaki's chest, directly where his beating heart lay. He couldn't tell what it was that pushed him toward that singular point, but he didn't need to know. All he needed was to see his inky ember patterned hand that held the power of pure lightning within it thrust forward as the ground between himself and Naruto was cleared in no time at all. Everything only seemed right as he watched his fingers pierce through the tough green flak jacket that matched his own from one side and soon did the same to the other. Contentment was the epitome of the Uchiha's existence as the wait of the body upon his arm simply slacked into dead weight.
Then, all that peace was stripped from him in an instant.
His red eyes met the blue orbs of Naruto. He didn't need the Sharingan to see the pain and confusion that flooded his friend's gaze or the stunned slackness in his face. Anything that was thought merely seconds ago was replaced with abject horror as Sasuke saw his friend mounted on his own arm. For whatever reason, though, Sasuke couldn't pull his eyes from the sight only inches from his face. Instead of pulling his eyes away, everything seemed to slow down and become even clearer than it was. In torturously slow speeds, Sasuke watched the tense arms of Naruto fall limply at his sides and the focus removed itself from his eyes. One would think that tears would've blurred Sasuke's vision, but they only moved freely down his face and allowed him no reprieve from the nightmare before him. He wondered, briefly, if he would simply stand there forever as he ignored Sakura's screams. Perhaps if he never moved he wouldn't have to live with whatever the hell he just did.
Poof
Everything fell away as Naruto simply disappeared from his arm, leaving a bloodless forearm extended in front of him as the black ember markings slowly retracted up his arm. Sasuke's shaky arm fell from its extended position, settling in front of him so Sasuke could gaze at his palm, hoping it held the answers to what he just did. The hand that gripped his shoulder startled Sasuke into an aggressive flinch as he was pulled around at the unharmed visage of Naruto. After several violent blinks of his eyes and many scans of the Uzumaki's body, Sasuke's mind was finally able to make sense of itself. A shuddering breath ripped through his body as he realized, finally, that it was only a Shadow Clone that he impaled in his brief stint of pure insanity. His body tensed in relief and shock as his right arm clawed forward and around a shoulder to bring his friend into a one-armed hug as Sasuke tried to find the strength to compose himself.
"I almost killed him. Because of this stupid fucking seal I almost killed Naruto." The realization was agonizing. It made him question everything he was doing. How could he keep living as he was, knowing he could just lash out murderously like that? Would he eventually do the same to Sakura? If he let this go on, would he have his former teammates, those that were the best he could have and ask for as family now, both skewered upon his arm? Who could let that just happen?
When he let Naruto go, Sasuke didn't look the boy in the eyes. He didn't turn to look at Sakura who was standing only a few feet removed from the pair as he let his feet guide him from the training ground. No words stopped him, nor did the tugs on his clothing. All he acknowledged was Naruto's relenting to his clear wishes as he talked Sakura down into letting him go, but Sasuke couldn't even muster a look or smile in response. The only thing on Sasuke's mind was separating himself from anyone he cared for until he knew what to do. He wouldn't risk anyone else's life, he wouldn't gamble with the few he cared for in this world, and Sasuke would find a way to stop this from happening again.
Sasuke tried to swear those things to himself with confidence, with a determination that would be unbreakable, but that was quickly dashed by the biting pain that thrummed from his neck and the laughing that emanated through his head.
"Sasuke!" She called out with no small amount of desperation in her voice, doing her best to get the Uchiha to turn away from his skulk away from their training ground without any noticeable effect. Sakura wanted him to come back and explain what the hell happened, tell her why the hell he attacked Naruto like that. Sure, she's seen him get furious since the seal was put on him, she's experienced the intense mood swings he would deal with, and every time it happened, Sasuke was able to get a handle on himself. He's always been able to pull back the orange ember pattern that would dapple his skin before it cooled to the inky black markings that she just saw.
None of it was right.
As she watched Sasuke continue walking the path that led to the village proper, Sakura took another deep breath to call out to him again, but the hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Looking over to her other teammate, Sakura tried to discern what made Naruto stop her, what made him want to let Sasuke go without trying to help him through whatever it was he was dealing with, but she was surprised to see the same questioning look as blue eyes still focused on the Uchiha's back. Blonde brows were furrowed deeply and his frown still finding itself to be deeper and a bubble of frustration rose at the sight.
"Why did you stop me? Why are you letting him just walk away?" Her confusion and worry made her words come out in a snarl as Naruto jerked his attention toward her. Frustration only mounted when Naruto didn't bother to answer her immediately, instead choosing to sit in thought for a few excruciating seconds while Sasuke fully exited the grounds they still stood stagnant in.
"I don't really know. I just know that I would want to be alone if I was him. He looked really confused and lost, Sakura. I don't think he wants to be answering our questions right now." Although he began quietly and with little confidence, the surety in Naruto's tone only increased the more he spoke, enough so that Sakura didn't immediately argue back when he was done. Her eyes stayed on Naruto as he looked back toward the direction Sasuke left them, watching as his hand came up to massage the spot where the Shadow Clone got hit with the Chidori and her green eyes only focused on that spot.
When she was watching the two chunin spar, she couldn't tell anything was wrong until it was all terrible already. To her, everything went exactly as they always did at this point in the day when they sparred. Sakura herself was already resting and tending to the practice puppet Kankuro gave her, Sasuke was getting slower and slower as his own endurance waned, and Naruto was still pumping along like they hadn't already been at it for hours. There was no shame in losing an endurance war to the Uzumaki, both she and Sasuke were long used to it, and when the Uchiha went up to his knee, Sakura expected it to be called then and there. If only that was it. The markings exploded across his skin so quickly that neither she or Naruto were ready for it nor were they prepared to help Sasuke pull it back. When they got their bearings, lightning was arcing around Sasuke and the Chidori had already begun chirping.
Sasuke wasn't alone in believing that was it for Naruto. She may not have been able to completely follow the charge of Sasuke's Chidori, but she clearly saw the Uchiha's hand poking through Naruto's back, she clearly saw the absolute terror and despair that settled on Sasuke's face, and she clearly felt her heart fall deeper than her own stomach. Even when Naruto popped away, it took her more than a few seconds to process what the hell was going on, and when she caught up Sasuke was already pulling Naruto into an awkward hug as his shoulders shuddered wildly. Only now, seeing as they were alone and her attention was to the Uzumaki, did Sakura consider what Naruto could have felt with his clone being stabbed as it did.
"Are you okay?" She asked him, making it a point to calm herself and her voice before she spoke up. Sakura nodded her head toward him as his fingers massaged his chest, when Naruto looked at her with questioning eyes, giving way to a look of realization as he let his hand fall back to his side with noticeable discomfort.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a weird feeling." He brushed off without any comfort in his words. Sakura wouldn't let it die just then, especially not after how quickly he made her let Sasuke go. Her anxious energy needed to go somewhere.
"Does it hurt? Do Shadow Clones pass along pain too?" Maybe her question was a stupid one, but Sakura truly didn't understand the extent to which the Shadow Clone worked. The most she understood was that it was a physical clone that was way more advanced than the jutsu they were made to learn in the Academy.
"No, just a weird memory to have. I'll be fine, Sakura. Come on, let's go and rest up for the night." Naruto made to turn away from her and leave the grounds just as Sasuke had, but an arm snaked out and latched to his arm before he got more than a step away, making the boy turn his questioning look onto her once again. It flabbergasted her how quickly he wanted to move past what just happened, how fast he wanted to act like their friend didn't just try and kill him not five minutes ago.
"That's it? We just go to our homes and act like this didn't happen? Shouldn't we go tell Kakashi-sensei or something? Anko at the very least?" Sakura practically pleaded with the blonde, but instead of the intense agreement that she hoped for, all Naruto granted her was the cock of his head. Had she not been so disconcerted, Sakura would've stopped to what his hair wave along with his turned head, but instead she was more concerned with leveling her fiercest glare at the boy in her grasp.
"Don't worry about it, Sakura," he began with what she assumed to be a calming or reassuring smile, "I'll talk to Kakashi-sensei about it first thing in the morning. Let's give Sasuke the night to settle down a little bit. I bet Kakashi-sensei will want to talk to him as soon as I tell him and Sasuke isn't ready for that yet, I don't think." Sakura could see the logic in Naruto's words, and it would probably be best to let Sasuke settle down, but she couldn't just do nothing. Everything felt so wrong all at once. How could she just continue on like it was normal all of a sudden? Still, it wasn't like she had any better idea of what to do, so Sakura let her hand release its tight grip on Naruto's arm as they fell into step together toward the village.
"Fine, we'll talk to Kakashi-sensei first thing in the morning and he'll tell us how we'll sort this out." She agreed with a hesitant nod, but was once again met with Naruto's questioning eyes. Her pink eyebrow arched up at him, silently asking what his problem was now.
"I got it, Sakura. You leave first thing in the morning. Don't let this interrupt your trip to the Sand, you already pushed it back once." Naruto shook his head at her before looking back ahead of them, not wanting to look into her dumbfounded gaze no doubt. Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Did he really think that she'd just leave now that Sasuke was having so much trouble? What the hell kind of teammate did he think she was?
"Naruto, I'm not leaving tomorrow. I'm sure Kankuro, Temari, and Tenten will understand if I tell them that Sasuke's Curse Mark is giving trouble." Like Naruto said, she already pushed back the trip for the four of them once because they were still trying to figure out what was happening with the Uchiha and they understood completely. Who couldn't understand that having a teammate become a puppet of Orochimaru was a terrible situation?
"Sasuke won't like it, Sakura. He was already frustrated that you thought you had to stop it once, don't do it again. He'll feel better knowing that he didn't stop you from doing what you had to." Naruto's voice changed as he talked about her going to the Sand, he was more pushy like he held the utmost confidence in his words even if they were just as speculatory as before. Sakura noticed that the same would happen any time she would bring up tripping to the Sand and Kankuro's idea of being with her to help her choose a true puppet for her to master. She knew that Naruto was close with the Sand siblings, even the one that was dead set on murdering him in the Chunin Exams, but it normal for him to push so hard now of all times.
"Why are you so stubborn in keeping me from helping our teammate, Naruto? I want to help and make sure Sasuke is okay and you keep stopping me." Again, agitation bubbled into her voice, her foot stomped into the ground as she made them stop again to hash it out. It made it sound like he thought she was useless in helping Sasuke get better, or that she didn't need to be there. They were all teammates. All three of them. Together. She wouldn't let anybody think otherwise.
"Sakura, I'm not trying to stop you from helping, but you know how this will go. Sasuke is already in a bad place and us overwhelming him, even if we try to help, will make him worse. How many times has he had to tell us to back off when we thought something was wrong? Anytime we would ask about the seal during training he would snap at us. All I'm saying is that we shouldn't push him too far. And," Naruto paused as he sought the words he was trying to say. Sakura watched his blue eyes wander around before they came to hers just as unsure as they were before, "And I don't think it's fair to keep Temari and Kankur away from the Sand. They've been here for a while and they really want to go see Gaara. Let me try and handle Sasuke with Kakashi-sensei and you guys can go to the Sand. You can go there and come back with a cool new puppet to show off to me and Sasuke."
Sakura watched Naruto try to dig himself out of his own hole, going so far as to try and smile at her as he finished his thought. Sakura, again, knew and understood why Naruto said what he said. The logic was visible to her, but that didn't mean it sat right with her. There was still a pit at the bottom of her stomach as she thought of just leaving like this. After giving herself a few seconds of thought, Sakura met Naruto's gaze with a squinty glare to make sure that her words were taken with the utmost seriousness.
"Fine. I'll go. But you have to promise me, Naruto. Promise me that you'll help Sasuke however you can." She made sure to go as far as sticking a finger in Naruto's just that jabbed with her syllables to push her point further. The lip curl on Naruto's face reassured her more than any of his words had thus far, soothing her mind somewhat.
"I promise, Sakura. I'll help him how I can and we'll see you when you get back." His smile was warmer than it had any right to be, and from a boy that was so much of the opposite when they were put into their genin cell. Sakura appreciated the growth they all experienced as shinobi as well as the growth they experienced together. She wouldn't want any other pair to be teammates with, and it did wonders to know that Naruto would stick to his word as best as he could.
She went back home without any more words of argument with Naruto, allowing it to be put to rest with his words of promise. When she lay in bed that night, unable to sleep from both the memory of just hours before and the anticipation of what was to come in only a few hours more, Sakura couldn't dodge the pit in her stomach. She couldn't escape the uneasy feeling that riddled her or the anxiety of what was to come.
I hope that this came across like I wanted it to. Idk, I didn't want this to feel rushed nor drag it out more than it should've been, but who knows if that worked at all. I'm sure there will by varying opinions and I'm open to hear all of them. Kinda working through this blindly still, albeit we've been at it for awhile now.
The next few chapters will all be covering about the same period of time. I'd guess the same week or so is covered through different eyes. Naturally, this starts with Naruto's perspective on Thursday.
