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Sasuke
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Sasuke's heart skipped a beat the moment his eyes landed upon her. He wasn't prepared for this, to see her, of all people. When Karin had talked about a chase and powerful chakras, he had hoped to see Akatsuki cloaks through the foliage, not an Anbu squad cornering a too familiar pink-haired girl.
It took him a while to register all the changes in Sakura's appearance. Because despite the small stature, the pink hair and the piercing viridian eyes, the kunoichi he used to know was hardly recognizable under the bruises, the defying glares, the sharp edges of her face. And he's not even talking about the way her clothes tightened around the curves of her body. She might not have grown that much over four years, but she's not a girl anymore.
But past her looks, what took Sasuke by surprise was the trained shinobi she had become. Her impressive chakra control seemed to have surpassed even Kabuto's, and they had all been mesmerized by the ease with which her body meandered around her opponents, breaking bones and dislocating limbs in swift movements.
She was still losing the fight, though. And the whole situation made no sense to Sasuke. Weren't Sakura and the Anbu force supposed to be on the same team, both working for good old Konoha? And why would so many men be sent after one civilian kunoichi?
Not that it mattered in the end. Because Sasuke has only one goal, and the life or death of a pink-haired girl shouldn't be of his concern anymore. But who better than Sakura to know where to find Naruto? And what better than a Jinchūriki to attract an Akatsuki member?
That's what decided him in the end. Not the many wounds puncturing her body, the sheer sweat covering the pale skin of her brow, or the way those men were putting their hands all over her tired body. He had one goal and now needed her to achieve it; how ironic.
He never thought she'd be so reluctant to follow, so adamant about avoiding his eyes, about putting distance between them, about choosing Naruto over him. And at first, he admits he found it endearing. But now, after thirty minutes of watching her stumble over everything and hearing her curse through gritted teeth with her chin held high, he believes he deserves compensation for saving her ass.
At that thought, Sasuke grabs Sakura's arm, tries to ignore the soft touch of her skin under his fingers, and yanks her forward through the entrance of their hideout. She drops to the cave's hard ground with the loudest sigh Sasuke has ever heard and settles her head against the rocky wall, her eyes closed.
"So, where is he?" Sasuke asks, kneeling in front of her.
She doesn't acknowledge him, and by the steady rise and fall of her chest, Sasuke assumes she's fallen asleep. Her head drops to one side, and a curtain of long hair slides in front of her face, shielding her from view. He wonders why she's let them grow back. Hadn't she learned from her past experiences? It gives her opponents an easy grip.
He lets his fingers tangle in the knotted pink locks, then yanks her head back. "Where is he?"
She snaps her eyes open to glare at him. "I thought you said I could sleep."
"Only if I'm satisfied with your answers." He releases her, steps back to inspect her. "You're wearing your father's shirt," he realizes then, and her eyes widen. "And you don't have your bag. You're not on a mission; they chased you out of the village. Why? Do you have valuable information for them? Like Naruto's hiding place?"
She scowls and turns her gaze to the side. "Not everything is about you, guys."
He sinks his fingers inside the wound on her shoulder when her eyes close again. She holds back a cry, her body squirming under the pain, but never lets out a sound. He's been expecting a scream but will never admit it to her.
"Look at me, Sakura." Her eyes flutter open, and crimson meets viridian. "Tell me where Naruto is."
He can see chakra coating her eyeballs and frowns. "You forgot to say please." She shifts her head to hide her face again.
Sasuke can feel his Sharingan spin as he takes in Sakura's lounging form. "How did you do that? You looked into my eyes."
"I practiced. There's no way I'm ever going back there."
She means the Tsukuyomi, he realizes while sitting back on his heels and letting his hand drops to the side. They never talked about it, never got the time to, but he remembers how afraid she looked, lost, deeply hurt. And that's when he left. No wonder she doesn't trust him.
"I want to sleep, Sasuke," she says then with a tired sigh.
"And you will if you answer my questions. I don't want to hurt you, Sakura. Or him. You know what I really want."
She shifts her head so that she can meet his eyes again. "You've already hurt me." They remain silent for a while, and Sasuke tries to ignore the pang in his heart. He knows she's right, but it shouldn't get a reaction out of him. He's hurt many people over the years but never felt bad about it before. "Besides, I won't talk under torture, Sasuke. I'm not the pathetic girl I used to be. Now I get hurt all the time, but it's just routine, and I'm never afraid of dying."
He eyes her for real then, Sharingan stopping on her blood-stained shirt, taking in her shallow breaths, her translucid skin. If she had shown up looking like this four years ago, he would have brushed her cheeks, hands shaking with rage, demanding to know the identity of her opponents, wishing to kill them all. But if she's not the same girl anymore, it's because he's changed too.
When his eyes return to her face, he notices the flaring of her nostrils.
"Dinner's ready," Karin whispers in his ear, handing him a bowl of steaming rice.
He notices Sakura's eyes lingering on the redhead and wonders if it's jealousy he sees shining in her piercing green orbs. He hopes not. The last thing he needs is a replica of Ino's and Sakura's childish competition.
"When was your last meal, Sakura?" He asks when her eyes turn to the bowl in his hands.
A pink tongue darts out of her mouth, bringing in its wake memories Sasuke spent years to forget. "I don't remember," she answers then, hand stretching, but he retreats the bowl before she can reach it.
"If you speak, I'll let you eat."
She moans, thumps her head against the wall. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not weak anymore, Sasuke. Nothing you'll do will make me talk. I'll faint long before you get your answer."
"Fine!" He snaps then, discarding his dinner and turning to the white-haired man watching them closely. "But you need a shower first."
Suigetsu seems to get the meaning behind his words because he steps forward, hands rubbing together as a smirk stretches on his lips. "Cold or scalding?"
"Ice cold."
Sakura lets out a gasp when a powerful gust of water hits her face. Sasuke stares for a while as the water turns pink on the cave's floor and tries to ignore the way her shirt clings to her body. Her lips turn blue, but still no answers. Suigetsu casts Sasuke a questioning look before stopping his jutsu.
Sakura folds her legs against her chest, arms wrapped tightly around her shins, and keeps her eyes on him. He shifts uncomfortably under her intense stare and avoids looking at it by assessing the injuries altering the skin of her face: a split lip, cuts all over her cheeks, a big gash to the forehead, and a purple bruise emerging all around her nose, hiding her pretty freckles.
"So now I can sleep?"
He glares at the obstinate girl, and uncomfortable pulses on his neck speed up his heartbeat. Something must have changed in his demeanour because Sakura's eyes become wary as they land on his curse mark. "Sasuke?"
She leans back with a gasp when he punches the wall inches away from her face. "Goddammit, Sakura, just tell me where he is." He yanks her forward by the collar of her shirt, ready to stare into her eyes until she runs out of chakra, but that's when he notices her gaze still resting on his neck.
"Is it still controlling you?"
She's concerned, and he doesn't like it. His hand closes around her chin, and he tilts her head up to meet her gaze. "If I say yes, will you answer?"
"If I tell you now, you'll leave me here, alone, again. I can't. Not tonight. Please, just let me sleep."
He keeps staring at her for a while until the fire under his skin goes out. So she still has a hold on him, he realizes, releasing her. She drops back on the floor almost instantly, legs shaking, teeth clattering. He doesn't protest when her eyes close.
"Who is she?" Suigetsu asks when Sasuke joins the rest of his team around the fire, a bowl of cold rice in his hands.
When he stays silent for too long, Karin answers the question for him. "His former teammate, of course."
"I know that," Suigetsu says, waving his chopsticks at her, mouth full, "but I mean, why have we only heard of the blond Jinchūriki and the famous copy-ninja?"
Sasuke shifts in his seat, eyes glued to the fire. "Because she used to be nothing."
The other man snorts. "Didn't think she would become that, did you?"
Sasuke glances back at the woman sleeping on the floor and only retracts his gaze when Jūgo rests a hand on his shoulder.
"Sasuke-san, are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean... torturing her? It feels wrong to me."
"Jūgo," Suigetsu says, stretching his legs. "It's not because she looks like a kitten that she doesn't bite. Don't let them fool you. Women are the worst."
Karin snorts. "What do you know about women?"
"Well, I know you, and that's enough for me."
Sasuke pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance at their bickering, the uncomfortable feeling on his shoulder returning full force.
"Sasuke-san." He sighs, tries to control his anger, and turns to look into Jūgo's amber eyes. "If she wants to track down this Naruto, and you know your brother will be there as well, then why not just travel with her? She can be useful to the team. She's a medic, after all."
The cave falls silent, and Sasuke shifts his gaze to the sleeping girl again. To an outsider, this idea might sound like a good one. It's true; Sakura has become a valuable asset, but there's just one problem. He's drawn to her, even four years later. And perhaps their relationship has changed, but he still cannot really hurt her. This means that she's the perfect candidate to gain the Mangekyō, and the demon inside of him knows this all too well.
But there's one thing he wants more than protecting the pink-haired kunoichi, and it's finding his brother. So if Sakura can help him with that, maybe it's worth the risk. After all, he would have a better chance at winning with a medic - or brand-new Sharingan.
He tries to ignore the gloating demon inside of him and turns to Karin. "Jūgo's right. I'll try to convince her to team up with us tomorrow. In the meantime, we can't let her bleed all night." The redhead scowls but still nods. "Good. Suigetsu, you have the first watch. Be careful. They are probably searching for her."
"More fun for me," the white-haired man replies with a grin as he makes his way outside.
Karin walks to the sleeping medic next with Sasuke and Jūgo in tow. She takes a kunai out of her pouch, and Sasuke has to work really hard not to react. He knows she won't hurt Sakura, and it shouldn't matter that much anyway, but after years spent protecting the girl, his body is literally moving on its own.
He observes Karin cutting the medic's shirt with growing discomfort. The last time he saw Sakura in her underwear, she was thirteen. And there are changes harder to ignore than others.
"She looks like she's been through one of Orochimaru's interrogation." Karin's red eyes assess Sakura's injuries.
"What do you mean?"
She pushes her spectacles up her nose in irritation. "You're lucky she's a medic. Otherwise, even with my help, she wouldn't be able to survive the night."
It shouldn't surprise him. There's too much blood running over the smooth, pale skin.
"This one." The woman interrupts his observation and points the hole in her shoulder. "I'll have to burn it."
She must have seen the hesitation shining in his eyes because she crosses her arms with a scowl. "I'm only doing what you asked. We have to stop the bleeding. She'll be able to heal the wound when she wakes up tomorrow."
Is he becoming that easy to read? He gets up with a sigh, strides to the fire, and puts the sharp end of his sword in its flames without hesitation. When the blade has turned a bright red, he returns to the medic's side with a hard stare and hands the sword to Karin. "As long as it doesn't kill her. I need to hear what she knows."
He kneels at the pinkette's head, leans above her, his hands gripping her arms firmly, his face aligned with hers. His hold tightens when Sakura's body jerks awake; a piercing scream follows the movement. When their eyes meet, she takes a few panting breaths and trashes harder under his grip. He brings his face closer to hers until his nose brushes her forehead.
"We're not torturing you," he says, softer than intended. "Go back to sleep." She holds his gaze a while longer but gives up at last.
He doesn't know how long he keeps staring at her, but when Karin clears her throat, he releases Sakura's arms and sits back on his heels. "Jūgo," he calls with what he wishes sounds like an icy tone. "Help Karin with the bandages. I'll go make sure Suigetsu is doing his job."
"Of course, Sasuke-san."
The large man lifts Sakura to a sitting position with all the care in the world, and she doesn't stir awake. The sight of her beaten body against Jūgo's broad chest makes Sasuke uncomfortable, and he hurries out of the hideout. But instead of going after Suigetsu, he settles in a tree, head full of unwanted memories. Eventually, he falls asleep.
It's dark and cold when he wakes up, and he knows exactly where he is. He puts a hand on the wet wall to guide himself, the only sound reaching his ears being the splash of water created by his footsteps. It's a dream; it has to be.
"Sasuke."
He spins around and reaches for his sword, only to notice its empty sheath. He looks down. Purple. He wears his old shirt, his Sound shirt. Is it just him, or does he look smaller?
"Sasuke."
He glances up, but there's no one in front of him. Where is she?
"Sasuke!"
The shout startles him. It isn't a dream; it's a memory. He runs towards the echoing screams, already knowing where to go and what he will find.
He enters the too-familiar room illuminated by white, cold lights and smelling like blood and death. Hana lies on a bed, bones protruding from her skin, two men staring down at her.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun. I'm happy you could join us," Orochimaru says, eyes glued to his experiment.
Sasuke steps towards Hana, tries to control his breathing. "What are you doing?"
"Hana-chan wanted to be part of a clan. And since we truly miss Kimimaro, we did some experimentations."
"We tried on others before," Hana says then, attracting his gaze. "To perfect our technique. And I'm ready to face the pain, no matter what. You're not the only one with goals, Sasuke."
Orochimaru chuckles. "We all have goals, my dear."
Sasuke's eyes follow a drop of blood rolling down her shoulder and landing in a crimson puddle at his feet. He knows he has to get stronger, that collateral damages are bound to happen, but he's still not comfortable hurting and killing people for his own benefit.
"I'm waiting for your first kill, Sasuke-kun."
Orochimaru's statement ignites something in the boy's belly. He turns two crimson eyes on his sensei. "I already know who my first kill will be."
Both share a glare until Kabuto's chuckle diverts the Uchiha's attention. "We should have asked you to kill your precious Sakura when we had her. You're still thinking about her, about her kindness, the feeling of your lips against hers."
"Shut up."
"It's up to you. Either you are serious about your training, or we kill your old team. Who knows, maybe in a month or two, you'll even be the one killing her. That would grant you the Mangekyō."
"We do what we have to do to survive, Sasuke," Hana says between two coughs, and the black-haired boy is left wondering what she really meant by that. Was she talking about obtaining the Mangekyō or ensuring Sakura's safety?
As Sasuke ponders on this, Kabuto's cold lab morphs into a meadow of blue and purple flowers. A gentle breeze caresses the skin of his face, and the sun warms his jet-black hair. He is tall again.
"Sasuke-kun."
His eyes snap up and land on a beautiful woman wearing a yellow summer dress. Her long pink hair tangles in the warm breeze and falls in cascades over her shoulders, stopping at the small of her back, brushing her round hips.
His feet close the distance between them on their own accord, and one of his hands reaches to cup her cheek. This is definitely a dream, he thinks, heartbeat quickening. He can do whatever he wants. No one will ever know; it won't mean anything.
His fingers tangle in her hair, and she lets out a sigh, eyes closing. He inhales deeply, brings his forehead to hers, his hand grazing the soft skin of her neck until it reaches her shoulder strap. He slides it down, and she takes a sharp inhale.
"You've hurt me, Sasuke-kun."
He meets her big bright eyes, can see that she doesn't mean it as a reproach, but it still stings to hear it.
"I know," he whispers, his lips hovering over hers. "Forgive me."
Her hand grazes the side of his face, pushes away a lock of ebony hair. "You've hurt me."
He kisses her lips before she can say anything else, and she grants access to his tongue, like that other time, in another life and a less romantic place. His hand slides from her shoulder to her hand, then to the small of her back. "Please. Trust me."
She smiles, and a tear rolls down her cheek. She brings her mouth to his ear; goosebumps trail on his skin when her warm breath grazes his neck, and his hand itches to glide lower, to feel her like he never did before.
"You're hurting me, Sasuke!"
Her scream startles him, and when he glances at the distance separating their bodies, his heart skips a beat. His other hand pierces her chest, even though he doesn't remember doing it. There's the prickling of a Chidori at the tip of his fingers, an uncomfortable warmth flowing down his arm. He jerks his head up to notice a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth. Realizing, at last, the situation, he hurries to retract his hand and carefully lays her to the ground.
"Sakura. I... I didn't. I didn't want to do it. It wasn't me. Sakura?"
With one hand cradling her neck, he applies pressure on her wound with the other. Panic settles in when her eyes close.
"Sakura? Sakura!"
He wakes up with a start, a hand shooting to his heart.
"You okay, man?" Suigetsu's face enters his line of sight. "I said Pinky is awake."
"Sakura?" Sasuke asks in a raspy voice.
The white-haired man nods with a puzzled look. Sasuke runs a hand through his hair, then jumps down his tree. He hears Suigetsu follow behind and is grateful for the man's silence.
When they enter the cave, his eyes settle on the half-naked medic, searching for any sign of injury involving a Chidori. But there's no hole in the middle of her chest, and the girl looks anything but dead. That's when he notices her blushing cheeks and realizes what he's been doing: staring openly at her partially covered chest.
He clears his throat and grabs his bag by the fire.
"Here," he tosses her a shirt. "We had to tear yours up last night."
She turns the new piece of clothing in her hands. She freezes when her eyes glimpse the red and white fan on the black material and stares at the Uchiha symbol with furrowed brows. "I liked my shirt. It was my father's."
Sasuke shrugs. "You can ask him for a new one later." White teeth embed in her lower lip, but she remains silent. "Sakura, I have a deal for you."
The girl's frown deepens, but she nods, puts her fresh shirt on and, at last, locks eyes with him. "I'm listening."