Light Shaded Dream
Chapter 13 – Twisted Nightmare
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
-:-
Sakura left Konoha at 7:00 AM sharp in the morning, leaving a note at each of her friend's houses to let them know of her absence. She felt a bittersweet feeling inside of her as she jumped from tree to tree, making her way over to the mountains. She would miss her friends, for she knew this mission would be a long mission, but she was also glad that she might be able to see Sasuke again. She hoped he hadn't changed from last time, since it took her so long to establish that relationship with him.
The breath of the first day of spring brought her happiness and joy. It was finally her favorite season. The spring brought back the life of the earth; it thawed the snow, and the green would finally grow vibrant and show off. It gave her motivation to move faster, but she knew she couldn't exhaust her chakra so quickly, or else her mission would take much longer than it should have. All she could do was move at a steady pace and enjoy the fresh, spring air surrounding her.
-:-
Sasuke was training in the clearing in the mountains, where he been training after leaving Sakura. He continued to train and train, his skills getting sharper and more powerful. Looking at the trees made him think of Sakura, and it made him wonder if she missed him at all. Yesterday marked the one-year they were apart from each other. But today, he enjoyed the spring air about him, and continued to train. However, he knew that today would not be a day frolicking in the flowers, because today was the designated day that the man's life was marked to end.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke let the voice go through his left ear and out his right. He didn't care about what this person had to say.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke let out a sigh, and he turned around. He faced his angry sensei, and smirked.
"Hn."
His sensei had such a short-temper with him, and he loved it. It was definitely an advantage for him.
"Sasuke," he hissed.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sensei?" He asked, adding sarcasm to anger him further.
Orochimaru stared at him, his chakra rising due to his built-up rage. He threw kunai and pinned Sasuke to the trunk he was practicing on, and began walking towards him, preparing hand seals. Sasuke let him come within reach, focused chakra to his feet, and kicked him. This time, his kick nearly left a hole in Orochimaru's stomach due to his newfound strength from training, and he was able to break himself free by focusing chakra to his hands. He whipped out kunai, and charged them with chakra. Only one hit Orochimaru. It impaled his chest, and Orochimaru was left staring at the ground, dumbfounded. He did hand seals, and managed to grab Sasuke, but Sasuke was prepared. He had been prepared for this day long ago. He threw shuriken at his sensei, causing him to lose his grip. Many of them struck his sensei's skin, and he threw one last kunai to the heart.
"Bye, sensei," He hissed.
Orochimaru stared at him, and fell.
-:-
It was well into the afternoon when Sakura stopped to rest by a stream. She could see the mountain ranges clearly now, and decided to follow the stream up into the mountains when she was finished resting. She filled her canteens with water, and began to drink. The coldness soothed her dry throat, and she continued to drink her fill until she was satisfied. The new, spring sun shone high above her, showering her with the new season's warmth. Happy that she no longer had to travel in the cold weather, she set out once more, following the stream's path into the mountains.
Nighttime overtook the skies, and Sakura made her camp hidden in a forest next to the running stream. The forest was well near the base of the mountain range, so she would be able to begin her search with fresh energy. She made a small fire, and began to cook fish she had caught a while ago. Being hungry, she immediately devoured the cooked fish, and lay down on her makeshift mattress, staring up at the stars. She saw a shooting star, and made a wish. I wish that I can see Sasuke-kun soon, and that he still feels the same way about me as he did a year ago.
-:-
Sasuke made camp in a forest up in the mountains. It was near a running stream, giving him easy access to water if he needed it. He stared up at the stars, and smiled. Their shining glory reminded him so much of Sakura's eyes, bright and beautiful. Just at that moment, he saw a shooting star. I wish that I can see Sakura soon, and that she still remembers me and feels the same way... He felt childish wishing on a star, but he didn't mind. It was nice to be free from the curse mark; it was nice to be let free from the cage that held him in for so long. He lay down on his makeshift mattress, and closed his eyes, thinking about the one that melted his ice...
-:-
Sakura awoke at sunrise, and began to pack up her camp. She made sure her mattress was well spread-out, and there were no traces of her being there before completely leaving. Satisfied, she set off for her ascent up the mountain. The fresh spring breeze was even better up in the mountains, making it easier for her to focus and concentrate.
-:-
Sasuke awoke a few hours after sunrise, and right away began to train. He needed to freshen up his skills, even if they were all nearly perfect. He had a feeling that he would need them later that day. Having found a perfect clearing, he began by perfecting his taijustu skills. His kicks and punches have grown to a nearly perfect accuracy with deadly force. He then followed that up by ninjutsu. He began by the simple jutsus he already mastered, and made his way up until he was to perfect multiple chidori. Making sure not to blow up the whole forest, he charged with a fully charged chidori in his hand, blasting the poor tree trunk to pieces.
Taking a rest from training, Sasuke sat down at the foot of a tree, leaning onto its firm trunk. He was regaining the chakra he used from his training while taking in the fresh air encompassing him. He was thinking. Thinking about revenge, thinking about life, thinking about her. Somehow, he knew that both his goals would be accomplished right after another. Avenging his clan, and to restore his clan, two very ambitious goals. Sensing a strong presence behind him, he readied himself, almost restoring his full chakra. However, this chakra was vaguely familiar to him. It was remarkably strong, and he was panicking inside. It could...
"Well...who knew we'd meet again so...soon," The voice whispered.
The voice was unfamiliar, yet it was familiar. It was hoarse and rash due to the previous season's coldness. Sasuke turned around, and was taken aback. It was him.
"Surprised, little brother? I wouldn't think you'd be wandering around here. But it's too sad," The voice said, "Because I've just been ordered to kill you."
Sasuke stared wide-eyed, his pent-up emotions and anger flowing through him.
"Itachi."
The man who looked so much like Sasuke stared at him, and smiled. It was smile full of evil pleasures, but there was a hint of sadness and confusion hidden within.
"Sasuke-kun, your ambitions to kill me have brought you very far…"
Sasuke continued to stare. He couldn't take it anymore. Accomplishment was right in front of him.
"But sadly, my only family left must die, even if it is completely out of my character to kill."
Those words brought forth a rushed battle. The older Uchiha charged for his little brother. Both their Sharingan had been activated. Itachi began performing hand seals, and Sasuke imitated them. Both blew out fire from their mouths; their equal strengths causing a massive explosion.
Sakura stopped in her tracks as she felt a humongous explosion erupt around her. She knew it wasn't natural for that to go on in the mountains. She quickly made her way towards its source...
The fight continued on. Itachi and Sasuke were equally wounded; their strength almost evenly matched. Sasuke ran towards his brother, and began the Lion's Barrage technique. Itachi, after being kicked into the air, quickly retaliated by blowing out fireballs, causing Sasuke to lose his momentum and land on the ground. Sasuke threw kunai up in the air, only to have them reflected. The two brothers faced each other, their strength slowly draining. Sasuke began building up his chidori, while Itachi began performing a long line of hand seals. Sasuke's chidori finished charging, and he ran forth. His brother was still performing his hand seals, and the chidori and Itachi clashed. The chidori missed its target, however, and Itachi's shoulder was nearly cut off. Blood stained the newly found grass, and had even reached Sasuke and Itachi's faces.
Sakura found a clearing, where she could smell a strong stench of blood. Looking in, she nearly died from a heart attack. Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi were fighting. Itachi's shoulder was nearly cut off from what seemed Sasuke's chidori, and both were covered in a tremendous amount of blood. Silently, she inched forward...
Itachi recovered from his brother's attack, and smiled. It seemed he could not feel the pain of his gaping wound, and it did not bother him that he was basically bleeding to death. He began to laugh, maniacally like a madman. Sasuke just continued to stare at him, panting due to the force of the chidori. His strength was nearly gone; it was all wasted in his training. He was unable to produce another chidori without more rest, so all the attacks Itachi would throw at him he would just have to evade. Itachi closed his eyes, and Sasuke panicked. It was obvious he was going to bring forth the Mangekyou Sharingan. Before he knew what hit him, he was knocked to the ground, landing flat on his face. At that moment, Itachi opened his eyes, the Mangekyou Sharingan visible. A scream of a girl was heard. Sasuke immediately recovered, as the girl's scream was familiar. He looked up and saw Sakura lying on the ground, her hands clutching her head, her emerald orbs wide, and her body trembling with fear.
"Well, looks like this girl took the attack for you. Hm...and I wanted you to relive everything. I guess I'll just make her relive all the pain she went through..." Itachi said.
Sasuke stared at him, bloodlust escaping into his eyes. He needed this man dead. He craved his blood. Finding his strength, he quickly created another chidori, and ran forth towards his brother once more. Itachi, too occupied with what happened, failed to notice Sasuke building his jutsu up until it was too late. The last image he saw was the blinding light and Sasuke's blood lusty face. He fell to the ground, a gaping hole taking place of his heart, his corpse bathing in a pool of blood.
-:-
Sasuke managed to find a hidden cave in the mountain, and he took Sakura there. She was still trembling and shivering, tears falling down her face, hands tightly clutching her head. All he could do was take care of her body, for he knew the Mangekyou Sharingan was impossible to dispel. Sakura would have to be powerless, broken, and ill for a few days until the effects wore off.
He watched her in pain, crying, trembling, and shivering. How it hurt him to watch her in pain, but there was nothing he could do.
It's all my fault...I've been putting you through all this pain...
He looked at her, and tears fell from his onyx orbs.
"It's all my fault, Sakura. I'm so sorry..." He whispered, hoping she could still hear him.
-:- Sakura in the effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan (Sakura's POV) -:-
I was running. Running away from death, running away from pain. But no matter what corner or turn I rounded, no matter how fast I ran, a kunai managed to find my body, and impale itself through me. The pain was more than I could bear. But still, I ran. I was in a world of endless darkness; I could only see so far. I kept reliving seeing a mangled Sasuke on the floor, dead, bathing in his own pools of blood. Every time I rounded a corner, it was the same image over and over again. I hated seeing this. It made me gag and die inside. I couldn't take this. How long would I have to put up with this? Oh yeah...the Mangekyou Sharingan basically lasts 3 days...
My eyes, by this time, were stuck wide. The sight of a dead Sasuke had glued them in that state. This pain, I don't think I will ever be able to cope with this again. Why was I so stupid to go in front of a Mangekyou Sharingan attack? I mean... that's suicide. Oh yeah...being in love makes you do stupid things. But I'm fine with that. I'd rather be living this than watching Sasuke trembling in fear.
Running, running. I'm always stuck in this twisted dreamland. It was a nightmare. Blood, blood, death, death. It was written...everywhere. I kept hearing Sasuke's voice, but I still felt the pain.
"It's all my fault, Sakura. I'm so sorry..." I kept hearing him say those words. And every time I thought of him, another dead Sasuke would appear in the darkness. When will I get out of this twisted nightmare?
-:- End Sakura-:-
Sasuke continued to stare at her; sorry that he had ever brought her into this mess. He felt that she could hear him, but knew that even if she could, she would still have to go through the pain.
"I'm so sorry, Sakura..." He whispered.
-:-