Disclaimer: I definitely don't own Naruto, believe it.
(Track 5)Chapter 5 Split-Second Decisions
In contradiction to Sakura's preconceived notions, Team 7 was assigned a real mission. The kazekage had been kidnapped, and it was their duty to travel to the Sand village and report back.
The battles were over now, though. First, Kakashi's and Gai's teams had been delayed from rescuing Gaara in time by clones of Itachi and Kisame, respectively. Shukaku had been removed; however, Gaara's life was still saved by Chiyo-baa, a skilled puppeteer and medic-nin of the Sand. Before they had gotten to Gaara, though, Sakura and the older woman had teamed up and killed Sasori, one of the members of Akatsuki, who also happened to be a puppeteer and Chiyo-baa's grandson. Naruto and Kakashi, who were later joined by Gai's team, were able to defeat another Akatsuki member, Deidara, but he had managed to escape by leaving behind a massive exploding clone. Fortunately, Kakashi was able to use his new sharingan abilities to send the clone to another dimension and spare doubtless injuries.
And now everyone sat around a campfire after dinner on the first of their 3-day return trip back to Konoha. All the younger ninjas chatted amongst themselves, except for Sakura, who contemplated what she should do with the information she had gained from these battles.
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Why don't you come over and join us over here?"
Sakura looked up when she heard Naruto call over to her. "Sure! What are you guys talking about?" She lowered herself to the ground between her teammate and Lee, and across from Neji and Tenten. She hadn't really hung out with Neji or Tenten over the years, but she had spent a little time training with Lee from time to time. Sakura wasn't sure if he still had a crush on her after all this time, but he was always a good friend to her.
"Hey, Sakura, is it true?" piped up a curious Tenten. "Did you really defeat a member of Akatsuki?"
"Yeah, with Chiyo-baa-san's help. I wouldn't have been able to do it alone, and we probably only managed it because she was his grandmother and knew his weaknesses. Also, I would have been a goner had she not healed me."
"Her grandson was a member of Akatsuki?" exclaimed Naruto loudly beside her.
"Yes, but she still killed him." She paused before adding solemnly, "I'm not sure if I could've done the same."
"Still, it's amazing," Neji commented. "Who would have thought someone who started out like you could compete with such a high level ninja." This was immediately followed by an elbow to the stomach by Tenten. "Hey, I meant it as a compliment, honest. I'm just saying she's improved a lot, geez!"
"I wish I would have had the chance to test out my skills against a member of Akatsuki. Instead, we were all stuck fighting clones of ourselves," grumbled Lee.
"Now that's YOUTH!" chimed in Gai, who no one even realized was listening. Last they noticed he was deep in conversation with the desperately trying to rest Kakashi.
"Osu!" responded Lee, who suddenly stood up in a saluting position in his usual exuberant fashion.
They can be just downright frightening, thought Sakura.
"Hey, fuzzy brows! Why don't you sit back down and let us resume the conversation?" yelled Naruto.
"Right," Lee answered and quickly sat back down. Gai resumed disturbing Kakashi's attempts to rest.
Clearing her throat, Sakura continued where they had left off. "You know, it was partly due to seeing all of you guys fighting in the Chuunin exam that helped push me to train really hard. I guess I didn't want to be left behind anymore."
In response to the comment, Neji smirked, Tenten beamed proudly, Naruto congratulated himself, and Lee's eyes welled up with tears. From seeing their reactions, Sakura added, "Especially you two. Naruto, you really showed everyone that you were someone to take seriously, and Lee, thank you again for saving me from the Sound-nins. Both of you really inspired me to see what I was capable of, so I could protect my teammates instead of always being the one needing saving."
Neji groaned in disgust as Lee started whooping for joy while doing cartwheels around the camp.
After about another half hour of chatting, one by one, they each started turning in for the night for the few days of travel they had left.
For Sakura, though, whether she was asleep or still lying awake, her memory of the night she couldn't stop Sasuke from leaving Konoha replayed agonizingly over and over in her mind.
Heaving a sigh at finally being home again, Sakura dropped her pack on the floor. She'll unpack everything later. It was late, but she hoped there'd be some dinner leftovers in the fridge. She had stopped by earlier just to let her parents know she was back before tending to Kakashi in the hospital. She wasn't sure what time her parents were leaving the next morning for their trip to Setagaya to visit relatives, so she wanted to catch them before they went to bed in case she didn't get a chance before they left. As a ninja, she never knew when she might not return from a mission. Especially a mission like the next one she hoped to be assigned to.
Rummaging through the contents of the refrigerator, Sakura happened upon some leftover noodles. Heating them up and adding some vegetables, she sat down at the table to eat alone.
So now what am I going to do about the meeting with the spy Sasori has among Orochimaru's men? Sakura thought as she scooped up a mouthful. She mulled over the illogic of being married to Sasuke and being visited by him, yet still desperately seeking clues as to where he's residing with Orochimaru as if he had never come back at all.
She swallowed as she absorbed the glaring contradiction. But whether I want to accept it or not, he's been living with the Sound, and, despite the fact that he came back and asked me to marry him, he may still feel more loyal to them than to Konoha. Obviously if he wanted to return, he would have just stayed by now. I had wanted to be strong to rescue him, but now it seems it'd just be physically forcing him to return against his will. I thought maybe consenting to marriage would have been enough to convince him to come back, but he acts so distant, as if he's not affected by this at all. If only I could get him to open up a bit. But who am I kidding? He's never going to change, he's too focused on revenge. I was an idiot for thinking I could change him. But I really hate feeling so helpless!
She slammed her fists down on the table in frustration, then immediately listened for any indication that she might have woken her parents. When she didn't hear any noise from upstairs, she continued to eat numbly for a few minutes. Having lost her appetite, though, she quickly cleaned up and put back the food she didn't finish. Sneaking quietly up to her room, she quickly showered, hoping the running water wouldn't disturb her parents too much, although they were probably used to her taking showers after training late. Feeling somewhat refreshed, she brushed her teeth, and changed into pajamas before gratefully climbing into her own bed.
But even though her body was exhausted, her mind wasn't ready to shut down just yet. Should I report to Tsunade about Sasori's spy or not? No one would know if I didn't say anything. Sasuke-kun probably would want me to keep quiet about it. I'm sure he'd prefer we didn't try looking for him. As his wife, I should respect his wishes. But then as a ninja I still have a duty to Konoha to report anything on S-criminals like Orochimaru. And I do want to find Orochimaru and capture him, kill him, something, so that Sasuke would come back here. Trying anything has to be better than doing nothing.
Sakura yawned as she turned over and pulled her covers up a little more. Well, whatever I decide, I have to make up my mind tonight. I can't exactly decide 2 days from now to report the information about the spy. I'd have to do it first thing tomorrow morning if I'm going to do it at all.
Her mind continued to argue in circles with itself until she heard someone softly tap at her window. It couldn't be, it's only been about a week, she thought. She got up out of bed and somewhat nervously reached to open the window.
Sasuke quickly entered her room and anxiously looked around the room as if he was searching for something before finally resting his eyes on Sakura. "Are you ok to meet tonight?" he asked bluntly.
"Um, yeah. I'm a little tired from traveling and such, but that's fine."
"Hn." That was his indication for him to follow. Right before he leapt from the balcony, though, he stopped. "I already grabbed the blankets," he explained as he pushed back the cloak to show her as well, "so just follow me."
That's odd. I wonder why he took the risk to grab them himself? Sakura took off after him.
They traveled in silence until they had passed over the wall separating Konoha from the forests surrounding it. Eventually, Sasuke spoke up. "So, did you just get back from a mission?"
"Yeah, you certainly have good timing." A little too good. She was suspicious, but didn't know if it was wise to press the issue.
"Where did you go?"
"Why do you need to know?" she challenged. Well, at least she knew why he grabbed the blankets ahead of time. He had somehow heard something about the mission, or he was ordered by Orochimaru to interrogate her, but he still wanted to leave enough time for….
"Just tell me," he demanded.
"Why should I? Since when do ninjas reveal the details of their missions to outsiders?" That came out a little harsher than she intended.
"I'm not an outsider, I'm your husband," he corrected abrasively.
"A husband who belongs to the Sound village," she pointed out, "the current enemy of the village I'm a ninja of." Ouch. She winced slightly at her own cruel words. "Besides, how do I know you aren't just going to turn around and tell Orochimaru everything? And then that'll make me a traitor to Konoha."
"You mean a traitor like me?"
"I didn't say that."
"I think it was pretty obvious. Is that how you see me?"
"No…."
"Very convincing, Sakura. Why don't you just turn me in now if I'm so untrustworthy?"
"Because…because that was part of the agreement," she replied meekly. "I gave my word, and I'll keep it."
"Then what if I gave my word?" He stopped so he could read her expression.
Coming to a halt on the branch next to him, she stared straight right back at him, looking for a sign, some kind of indication that he was being earnest. She wanted to believe him; she hated not being able to trust him. In fact, she hated the whole situation as it was.
He kept staring into her eyes. She wanted to believe him. With all her heart, she wanted to believe him.
She relented, "We were sent to the Sand village to check out the kazekage's kidnapping." He just kept staring. "Two Akatsuki members attacked the village and one of them managed to kidnap Gaara-sama."
"Wait," Sasuke held up his hand to interrupt. "Gaara's the kazekage now?"
"Yes, the 5th, I believe."
"Right. Well, keep talking, but let's keep moving."
Sakura continued to explain about Akatsuki trying to capture all the tailed beasts, and how Gaara had died from the process, but an older woman from the Sand revived him with a jutsu she had developed. It was at that point that they had arrived at their usual spot. Sasuke motioned for her to go before him under the tree.
"So, did you run into any Akatsuki members yourself?" he questioned as he laid out the blankets.
"Just two." Well, they hadn't technically met Itachi, it was just a clone of him. "I and the older woman fought one, while Kakashi-sensei and Naruto chased the other."
"And…?"
"And…we defeated him, but the one they were fighting managed to escape."
"Wait, you beat a member of Akatsuki?" he questioned incredulously.
"Not by myself, no."
"But you actually fought."
"Yes."
"And you weren't immediately killed?"
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. No, I'm no powerhouse like you and Naruto, but I'm not nothing either."
"That's not what I meant. I just meant, a member of Akatsuki, they're just really strong and-"
"And, with the help of his grandmother, we already knew his weaknesses and were able to counter his attacks. Although, even then, it ultimately came down to him leaving us an opening." Despite her great victory, she was already starting to feel so small next to her teammate again.
"Well, good for you." Sasuke wasn't sure what to say. Has she really become that strong? If she could accomplish that in Konoha, I wonder if I could have….
At least he seems to be satisfied with only general details, she thought. If this had been an order from Orochimaru, he definitely would have pressed for more specific information. At least, I think he would have. "So.…should we get started?" Sakura started getting undressed, and Sasuke did the same.
Then, Sasuke stepped in close to her, tracing his fingers down her back, and running into the scar from Sasori's sword. Stopping, he inquired, "What's this?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a scar from the battle with the Akatsuki member."
"Wait," he interrupted, his eyes scanning her meticulously for further signs of injuries, "you have a scar at the same height on your stomach, too."
"I got run through with a poisoned sword," she tried to explain as casually as she could.
"You could've mentioned that, you know. Are you ok? Did it hurt a lot?"
Taking a step back from his scrutiny, she responded, "It's not like I'm a child you know. Yes, it hurt, but I never stopped fighting. I'm sorry I have ugly scars now, I'm sure they'll fade over time, if that's what you're worried about."
"Sorry. That's not what…I didn't mean to insult you. I was just being concerned."
"Oh."
"Yeah, so, uh, let's get back to, you know," he gestured awkwardly.
It's now or never, she thought to herself. She decided that this time she would be the one to take control of their 'time together'.
After they were finished, Sakura didn't move from her position on top of him, but just laid her head on his chest. She was definitely too content to want to budge.
"So, was it good for you?" she asked jokingly.
Sasuke only let out a short chuckle as he lazily raised his left arm to rest it on top of her head, playing with her pink locks slightly, obviously agreeing with the question.
"It's too bad you didn't stop by later. My family's leaving in the morning. They're going to be out of town for a couple weeks, so we could just stay at my place instead of coming all the way out here, not to mention being a little more comfortable."
"Oh."
"Of course, I'll probably be out on a mission again in a day or so, so maybe it is good you came tonight."
"I see." Followed by silence. Sasuke continued to distractedly stroke her hair while Sakura peacefully immersed herself in the intimacy of the moment. Clearing his throat, he finally broke the silence with, "Um, I like your new haircut, by the way. I never told you that last time. It, um, really suits you."
"Thanks." She had been wondering if he had noticed the humongous change.
"So…why did you do that?" he asked uncomfortably.
"Do what? Cut my hair?"
"No, I mean…before. What you did…you know…us…."
"Oh, that," she confirmed. She lifted her head to face him and put on the brightest smile she could manage. "Doesn't hurt to make the best out of a situation, right?"
Turning back to his usual serious self, he warned, "Don't make this out to be more than it is. Don't think this will change my mind and have me running back to Konoha. I made my decision."
"I know," she replied softly. After a short period of silence, she desperately wanted to ask, 'Why did you come back? Why me, why this?' But instead, she lifted her head to look into his face. "I'm only going to say this once, so please just hear me out and I won't bother you about it again, ok?"
She paused to give him a chance to nod before continuing. Laying her head back down on his chest, she confessed, "You know, Naruto and I still want you to come back. We don't blame you for leaving - we know it's about your brother." She felt him stiffen beneath her at the reference. "But, couldn't you have stayed with us? You could have become strong under Kakashi-sensei's training, I think. And I can't speak for Naruto, but I'm pretty sure he would also have agreed if you had asked us to help you. I don't think revenge will accomplish what you think, but if you're set on it, I'd rather help you than be left behind. And besides, he is an S-ranked criminal of Konoha, so it is our duty to stop him." She looked up at him expectantly.
Instead of responding, though, Sasuke sat up, forcing Sakura off of him, and proceeded to get dressed. Sakura was astounded at his callousness. Just when he seemed to be more open, to close back up so suddenly. Before she could think about regretting it, she decided to just go ahead and throw it out there and see what happens.
"We ran into Itachi on the way, you know."
Sasuke stopped. "What…?" his voice already starting to rise.
His eyes are so intense! She rambled, "It wasn't him exactly, but some sort of clone of him using another person's body. He showed up to delay us from rescuing Gaara before they could extract the tailed beast. Anyway, we ran into him. I just thought maybe you'd want to know."
Sasuke rushed over to her and grabbed her hard by the shoulders, almost making her drop the blanket she had wrapped around her to keep some sense of decency. "Why didn't you tell me that before!" he growled at her.
"Well, I wasn't sure how you were going to take it," she defended.
Almost as if he couldn't hear what she was saying, Sasuke continued, "You could have been killed! He's not someone to mess with. You need to stay away from him!" he ordered.
"Well, it's not like I had much choice; it was the mission we were assigned to. It's not like we searched him out, he found us."
"Give me all the details. What was his condition? Did he hurt you?"
Her concern growing at his increased agitation, she told him everything that came to mind in hopes of quelling his rising aggression. "Um, Kakashi-sensei mentioned something about his eyesight deteriorating. He didn't do…um, what did Kakashi-sensei call it again…mangekyou, I think it was. But he was still able to capture Naruto in genjutsu using only one finger. Let's see, after we released him from the illusion, though, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei were able to defeat the clone, and the body reverted back to its original form. That's everything, I swear." She then added, "Everyone's fine, so please calm down."
Sasuke turned to punch hard into the tree. Sakura immediately grabbed his hands, hoping the gentle contact would help. She guided him to a kneeling position, and she kneeled in front of him to start healing his bleeding knuckles. "Just calm down, ok?" she tried to soothe.
"I'm sorry," she offered. "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. I, uh, I just didn't want you to leave without saying anything. I probably should have thought of something else, though. Sorry." Sasuke only looked away from her, although he seemed to be regaining his composure. If only I could tell what he was thinking! she thought desperately.
When she finished the healing, he finally spoke, "Thanks. Um, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No," she smiled, "I'm fine."
"I didn't mean to react like that. I just can't stand…I just don't want him taking away anyone else."
She couldn't think of anything to say, so Sakura reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't try to stop her. They stayed like that for a few moments before Sasuke eventually pushed her away. Sakura tried to cover a hurt expression with a cheerful one and got dressed while Sasuke walked out from under the tree.
He meant to take off right away, but instead he turned and found himself watching her as she got dressed and fixed her hair, unaware of his gaze. Her smile and the words 'Doesn't hurt to make the best out of a situation, right?' flashed in his mind.
Feeling a little guilty over his behavior earlier, he walked back under the tree to help her gather up the blankets. She smiled awkwardly at him for his help, although inwardly she was ecstatic that he hadn't just left in his usual detached manner.
Then ducking back out from under the tree, he stood there for a second, as she stared up at him with expectant eyes. And instead of delivering his usual lines before departing, he leaned in for a kiss. Just a quick peck on the lips, but it was enough to send her heart racing. "I'll see you," he breathed, his face still so close to hers. And he left, to leave a wide-eyed Sakura in his wake.
Sakura was once again tucked snugly under the covers in her own bed. This time, she was able to quickly decide on two things before falling asleep: that Sasuke confused the living daylights out of her with his unpredictable behavior, and that she is going to report what information Sasori had given her to Tsunade in the morning.