Someone Screaming
Ayane Selznick
It wasn't long ago when the group of Missing Nins came inside the barrier of the Hidden Stone village in attempt to obtain their objective. Even though some part of the village was still ablaze, there wasn't any number of deaths occurred for those of the civilian people, except of course, those who had intruded the said place. The Jounins of this village came out from the tower to start the investigation in the area where the trouble took place. Some of them scouted other areas to search for other Missing Nins that might have been hiding inside the houses of their citizens. Some of them finally went straight to the location only to find a number of dead bodies bloodied and lifeless. Kunais, shurikens and katanas were neglected as they were scattered everywhere. All had the same bloodstains that spurted out of their flesh.
"Commander, it seems like the people who had killed these Missing Nins had disappeared." Said one of the low rank ninjas as he reported beside the commander-in-charge.
"Send some team to find those people who had engaged a fight between these people. They wouldn't be gone for too long." He replied as he scrutinize the dead bodies, recalling something about the report of Missing Nins lingering around their vicinity in search of someone who possessed an Advance Bloodline technique.
"Hai." The ninja said and vanished from the whirlpool of sand.
There's no point of staying in a place where he was sure he would be caught by the shinobis. He must remember that he was no longer a citizen or a Konoha ninja; he's just a Missing Nin. He was able to get himself in different villages because he was not part of the list where most Missing Nins were hunted due to several crimes bagged on their heads. He was the kind of Missing Nin who remained quiet, passive and alone. Although the reports had widely spread throughout the villages close to Fire Country, they've never resort to hunt him down in one blow.
Who were they to kill him when he had saved them from Orochimaru's threats?
Trudging the secret pathways he once seen when he had just arrived at Hidden Stone, he made sure that the woman in his arms would not wake up. Slowly, he looked down on her as he noticed the fatigue in her creamy face and wounds that the battle inflicted on her. He didn't know how long she had trained but her skills were quite beneficial. Not that skills alone, but her strategy as well. He would not admit it out loud, but deep inside…
You've got stronger over the years…
He went back to his job to take a shelter after a short yet exhausting fight. Sasuke continued to leap from one branch to another. The soft thuds his foot made when it touched branches was the only sound he could hear. The morning mist was present in his vision and he let it touched his bare skin, feeling the cold liquid substance that we call vapor. It would be a few hours from now that the sun will brightly shine upon the surface of the earth.
Narrowing his eyes he found a small wooden road sign affixed to the ground, which lead him to another place where he thought would be a very small village. Shortly, he had felt his own physical energy receding, but somehow, he still had that strength to carry her to somewhere safe. Hurrying himself a little more, he found a small inn open. Instantaneously he went inside to inquire.
"Hello?" He asked to no one in particular when he arrived at the counter only to be welcomed by empty desk. His voice was hoarse, visibly showing tiredness. Bullshit… just show your faces and get me a room!
Glancing to his left and right, he noticed that the corridor was dark. The innkeeper must have closed it as he or she may have been following the schedule for those lights. Then luckily, he found a long sofa as if inviting him to get himself there and rest. In his case, it should be her who would be there and so without a moment's hesitation, he walked to the said object and gently placed her sleeping form on the soft cushion sofa. He was kneeling beside her after he laid her there.
He narrowed his eyes once again. It was no doubt that she's a Hunter Nin she said it so herself. But what could her objective be? Was she after him? Would she have the guts to kill him? Would she call reinforcements to capture him… dead or alive?
But if she really was a Hunter Nin, why did she help him? Why did she protect him from the same people, so-called as Missing Nins, who were after the Sharingan? Why did she speak so confident like she was so very unlike of her?
It was like he had received a direct karma.
He didn't wish to see her nor the members of Team Seven in this place or at this time. He was not prepared to see them… Rather, he never expected to see them again. It has been almost eight years when he left the village. A team of Genin with Nara Shikamaru, as their captain, was sent to get him back… but at the end failed. They might have hoped that he would change his mind and just simply surrender to them.
But as far as his ambition is concern… he never did surrender therefore they failed and he…
Betrayed the Leaf.
Shaking his fists at his sides proved that he was bearing something inside of him. The battle that happened minutes ago were the evidence on how she has yet to deal with him. It seems, as he had seen in her eyes, that she was like going back to the past as they call themselves Team Seven.
They will fight together, help together and live together…
Can she not see the fact that that team was forever disbanded? That it will never be unified again?
Or had her trust on him never faded through all those years?
That he didn't know. And wished he wouldn't know.
His eyes stared at her closed ones. Few moments ago, he had witnessed how strong and determined her eyes could be, especially when it wasn't like that before. He could recall, even at this time, that her eyes could only mean the reflection of her emotions.
The emotions that she had showed to him and to him only…
The emotions he had for so long yet forever be forgotten…
The emotions… he feared when he loved someone and soon die in front of his eyes…
Undeniably, he was afraid of those emotions… especially when he would be the one accepting it. Like he said before, he wouldn't want those people precious to him die before his eyes because he was afraid, so afraid, to feel that feeling before.
The feeling of emptiness…
The feeling of losing someone you loved…
The feeling of loneliness…
His train of thoughts finally halted when he felt someone's presence nearing him. As his instincts instructed him, the aura that he had felt would never harm him. And so, he slowly arose from his kneeling position and faced the old man holding a lantern.
"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?"
Finally, somebody who will let him have a room…
It was strange.
The moment her consciousness awakened, her senses transmitted its message to her brain, telling her that the feeling around her was soft, relaxing and safe. At first she thought she might be in the hospital again, but she never heard the loud thuds and thumps that she had recalled hearing during her time in that very room.
However, she felt like something was aching on her arm.
Her wounds, as she could've recalled it, reopened again.
Tsk… my carelessness always leads me to something…
She ordered her left hand to grab the sore spot on her right arm only to recognize that her hand had brushed a flesh on her side. Hastily, she tossed the white, silky blanket out of her body and stood at the side of the bed, a kunai gripped around her right hand.
"Is that what I get for letting you stay in this room?" The voice had said, noticing the chakra from her, which tells that she had an intention to kill.
The pink haired woman narrowed her eyes to the sleeping form under the white silky blanket. The person was facing his side so his back facing hers. Then she noticed the black spiky hair that stuck out of the said object that had been his only cover. Automatically, she recollected all the things that happened before she ended up in this place… with him.
She withdrew her weapon and repositioned her fighting stance into a normal stance.
"I'm sorry. I was just startled." She flatly said while she continued staring at his back.
The person who was still lying on the bed decided to turn around and face her.
"I wasn't expecting to see that kind of reaction from you at this time in the morning." He said with his right arm supporting his head and his left hand over the white sheet.
Without a doubt, the person who was talking to her, right after he had decided to turn around, was none other than the person she's been looking for…
Uchiha Sasuke…
Sakura, who was still wearing the red cheongsam, turned around as she faced an open window. She felt her damp hair swaying at her back, touching her elbows and arms whenever the wind passed through it. She reached out for her hair and tied it with the ribbon she had been keeping if this case occurred. When she decided to let her hair grow long again, she didn't think that it would be this excessively long. Somehow, it felt heavier when her hair was just as loose as it was before she tied it. Additional to her personal reasoning, she thought that her hair would be of a great obstruction if there would be an A-rank mission. It would cover her face most of the time. And for her personal experience, it felt fresh whenever the breeze touched her bare skin at the back of her neck.
Touching the wooden windowsill, she peaked out from the window to view the new scenery that she had never been seen or had been to. She was certain that the place was not within the barrier of the Hidden Stone, but it was no doubt that this was still within the Earth Country. The whole village, according to her analysis, was smaller than the Hidden Stone Village. Therefore, this place was just another small village wherein tourists or tired ninjas would be capable of having a resting point. This kind of place, according to her experiences, was used to maintain the shinobi's crucial information before some Jounins from the main village would come and question them. There won't be any hassle to continue their mission if they stay in a place like this. Most probably since there weren't any ninjas staying as often as they were within the barriers of the main villages, just like in Konoha.
In a sense, this place was a refuge for some Missing Nin.
Like the person behind her…
"I thought you would've left me sleeping on that rooftop. But… thanks anyway." She finally uttered after a whole minute of silence.
"You should've watched out for your condition before you use certain high level Ninjutsus. Any ninja knows that."
"Contrary to what you've been bickering since last night, I was just ensuring our safety behind the defenses I had created. Do you see some wounds to your flesh?" She challenged his mocking tone with her back still facing his. She put her right hand on her hip, only to realize that the said arm was still hurting from an open wound.
She hissed from the pain.
Grabbing the sore spot, she started forming a ball of Chakra to her left hand as it placed above the right arm. Slowly, the open wound was healing in the process. Her healing Ninjutsus was undoubtedly valuable at all times. She was thankful to Tsunade-sama, the present Hokage of Konohagakure, who accepted her as her apprentice, aside from Shizune. And she never regretted her decision to ask for her tutorial for medical Ninjutsus.
The man from the bed had sat up only to watch the incredible hands of his ex-teammate.
Indeed, she was better now than before. She knew a lot of things.
"That wound of yours slowed down your movements. I wonder how fast you were without it."
Somehow that comment from him turned praise to her ears, "You'll see."
After closing the open wound, she moved her right arm from up and down then sideward. It didn't hurt now like it used to. She smiled at her work, but she felt like she wanted to sleep again. But, how long had she been sleeping and what time is it anyway?
"How long have we been sleeping?" She asked, now turning to him face to face.
He leaned back, his elbows beside him, acting like a support, and looked up to the ceiling as if thinking.
"About five hours. Enough to have a rest." He added while looking to her eyes with his on a dully expression.
She walked towards the bed and sat at the very edge of it, thinking that it wasn't enough for her to recover from the last days' encounter with assassins and the Missing Nins. She dragged her weight to the side only to lie on the same bed where Sasuke was laying. She was still tired and she needed sleep.
"Is it okay if I stay here till afternoon?" She asked while facing to her side, towards the window.
"Need rest?" He replied in a questioning statement as he slowly shifted his position from the bed.
"Yeah…" She brought her legs to the bed and grabbed the blanket that she once tossed earlier. She was now facing the ceiling, but it turned out that she was facing to Sasuke, who was now standing beside the bed.
"Hn…" He walked towards the door but stopped halfway and then looked back at her. "I'll be back later."
Even where her eyes closed and her body lying comfortable in that bed, she smiled assuredly at him.
"Ok…"
It looked as though nothing had happened during the past eight years. The way they've fought together may look like they've been working together as partners, though in truth they've never seen each other neither known each other for almost ages. What could have been the reason as to why they've acted the way they just did?
As Sasuke closed the door behind him, Sakura had shifted her position as she faced the opened window.
She just couldn't believe that she'd met Sasuke last night. She couldn't believe that they've work as a team just to wave off the insolent Missing Nins, who were but after him. To put it simply, she'd helped him. Other than that, she couldn't believe that he just kept her in this room and even slept together in one bed.
Did he change during those years?
How much changes he'd been through when he was out there… all alone?
She shut her eyes quickly when the truth dawned her. Yes, Uchiha Sasuke had lived with his life in solitude right after he had left Konoha. But there wasn't much of a difference when he's in that said village because he was still alone.
He had no family to go home to…
He had no loved ones to love him…
He had nothing left…
He was but an empty child…
Somehow, she thought she's the only person who could understand him. She remembered the time she was trying to stop him. That very night, she had confessed her feelings and surrendered herself to him so as to let her join his path, his journey, though in the end, she had failed. During his absence, the truth had finally revealed to her as the Hokage explained his situation.
Sasuke and Naruto were fairly the same but had a huge distinction.
Sasuke sought for power…
Naruto already had the power…
Sasuke sought for power to avenge the death of his clan… to kill…
Naruto already had the power in order to fulfill his dream as a Hokage… to be acknowledged…
But the similarity occurs when both powers were not enough to fulfill their ambitions…
The so-called goals in life…
The goals that had striven them to live and the motivation to face the trials of life…
Thus, they're similar yet different.
She didn't need to ask for reasons, for explanations, just to know why he had changed. A matured mind such as hers wouldn't need for somebody's opinion because if she was in his shoes, what would be her life then?
It must have been hard… Walking at the thorny paths of the course of life would mean great tragedy and emotional distresses… He was acting like he was strong enough to walk in that path... Does a strong person need to give up himself for the devil's power in order to initiate his goal to kill his brother?
"I think he's just a coward…" The inner Sakura butted into the real Sakura's train of thoughts.
Sakura did not even bother to defend Sasuke when her inner self dropped that comment. That's because it was the truth. She said that he's coward a long time ago, during the Chuunin exams when Orochimaru attacked them. And up until now, she thought that nothing had changed in his cowardice.
Though deep inside, she must've admitted that she's a coward herself.
Before she could even face the reality in the ninja world, her heart and her mind were both as innocent as her whole being. Sometimes she was wondering if she's really qualified as a kunoichi to serve in their village because she's so fragile. Fragile than Ino, than Tenten, than Hinata… than any female ninjas she'd known so far. She was afraid, so afraid; to see her loved ones die before her eyes.
But… she never withdrew nor hid her feelings in to herself.
She was open to herself as well as to others, specifically those who belong to team seven.
Unlike the Uchiha, he had alienated himself from the people that so-called comrades. He had betrayed them when he left and turned himself as a Missing Nin. He had built some kind of emotional barrier so that he wouldn't be able to feel for anyone. Long ago, she was trying hard to get herself being noticed by him such that she wasn't even thinking what he was feeling at that moment. She didn't understand why he was so distant and always pushing people away.
Why is it?
Was her question from that time till now…
"I don't want to see those dear to me, die before my eyes. Never…"
Her eyes shot wide open when some kind of realism struck her heart and her mind.
She forced herself to sit up and contemplate to all the things they've done so far when they were just children. There were a lot of scenes that had flashed back in her mind and it was like she was searching in an unfathomable ocean with those memories she had in Konoha. It gave her some kind of headache when everything came back to her until one important scenario had finally set on her memory…
"Sasuke-kun was afraid to love, thinking that they would soon leave him again… He didn't want to feel alone again…"
He didn't want to feel the same feeling again…
She looked towards the sky as the sunlight penetrated the open window. Out of reaction, she lowered her head…
However…
There were hot tears brimming from her eyes…
She was back to whom she was…
She was back to Haruno Sakura, the 12-year-old girl, who often cries out her heart for her Sasuke-kun…
To be continued...
Author's Note: So there you go. I just hope you guys would appreciate it. In all honesty, I don't know what to do with this chapter. I've been thinking "what will happen to Sasuke and Sakura after the battle? Will Sasuke leave Sakura? If Sasuke had drained his chakra, will Sakura come and help him?" and so on. But as I plomped down in this chair and started typing all the ideas, which seemed like it only just popped out of nowhere, I just couldn't stop my fingers typing.
You may have noticed the changes between the two. If you compare themselves to what they were before, you'll see the drastic change. For instance, Sakura wasn't the type of girl that everytime she sees Sasuke, she will squeal and ask for dates. Additional to that, her sympathy looks was never seen in this chapter, specifically in my story. If you noticed, too, who the real Sakura was, she's always thinking for him. She was worrying for him and you would think that she was the type of person that does not think of herself. In short, she's a martyr.
And I don't want her to be like that in my story. In fact, I made her a strong kunoichi. Who wouldn't become a strong person when you were under the tutelage of a Hokage? When you joined the ANBU, when you've become a Jounin and you have to face the reality in the world where you lived in. The world is vast and within it is a truth that will surely make someone hurt yet must have grow stronger. When you're only a child, you only see the bright side of the life, but as you grow old, whether you like it or not, you will have to face the facts of life... may it be pain and sorrow or joy and happiness.
So that's the reason for her changes. As for Sasuke, this chapter had mentioned some possible reasons, the next chapter might or would be the chapter that will surely make you enlighten for his changes and his unalterable ambition to kill Itachi (my one and only... sniffsniff).
I wanted to say to you my fellow writers and beloved readers and reviewers that I'm nearing the climax of the story. The rating will not change but as early as now I'm warning you for the next (err next next?) chapters for some sort of citrus-y content.
I will never end this page until I answer/reply from your reviews, so here you go:
HiEi JaGaNsHis FlAmE - thanks! I'm putting a lot of effort to continue this fic. I'm glad you liked it.
Sailor Panda - Wow! Thanks for the compliment! You might as well be patient to wait for more intensity as the story goes on. I hope I could see you in the next chapters!
Karen - Parang laging sira ang account mo ha? I missed you so much!! Mwah!
blood-bath-incubus011 - over reading huh? Hehe, that's fine, I'm always over reading, too. Hey, thanks for the comment. I love blood, and it will rain for the next chapters... just wait.
SweGuy - Thanks for the comment and for the wonderful suggestion. It had been troubling me after Akira-kun told me to have a scene where Sasuke and Sakura would fight. But thanks to you, I have an idea sticking in my brain! I thank you so so much!
BlueMarina - really? Aww sweet.. thank you so much for reviewing!
kiki tameishi - you do like it? thanks a lot sweety (hey is it ok to call you that way?) I really appreciate that you've been there to review my works! Mwah!!
animEvivvErz - Hey thanks! Here is the chapter that you've been waiting for. But I hope you would be still there for the next chapters! Thanks!
Mrs. Uchiha - no no, that's not what I meant. What I really meant is, you're the kind of reviewer who drops a review for the most and best stories. I see your reviews from the stories that I think is worth of reading. Thanks again!
izumi-17 - hehe crush na crush ko rin sya. btw, I know you've read the manga 243. Umiyak kaya ako! Grabe ganon pala ang nangyari kay Obito and the reason why he gave his Sharingan. It was more dramatic when Kakashi destroyed the rocks only to reveal himself, the left eye Sharingan overflowing with tears. Nagkataon pang nakikinig ako ng malulungkot na soundtrack ng Rurouni Kenshin, grabe lumuha talaga ako. About dun sa suggestion mo for Sakura's ability. Hmmm may iniisip kasi akong iba. Diba alam naman nating lahat na hindi ganon kalaki ang Chakra reservoir niya so how can she summon Katsue or Katsuyu? Anyway, let me think about it. Thanks for the suggestion!
sasusaku4ever - Glad you liked it! Thanks for the review
Padfoot da Darkwolf - hehe, here's the update! Thanks for sticking with me in this story. And oh, like I said above you might as well be interested for the next chapters of the story. Climax is near!
RoCkeRShiK028 - Aww, bakit di ka naniniwala that I'm a Filipino? I'm so proud that I'm a Filipino. Naaadik ka sa SS? Hehe, thanks ha. Actually, hindi ganon kagaling ng grammar ko, I'm just spewing out my ideas. Iniimagine ko lang talaga mga nangyayari tapos tinatype ko na. Kung gagawa ka ng fanfics, sa MWord ka, machecheck mo yung grammar mo at spelling. Or if you want to, you can consult your parents for the words that you would want to translate (Tagalog to English). One more is magbasa ka ng mga fanfics, makakatulong talaga yon. Yung fanfics na talagang masasabi mo magaling ang grammar ng author hindi yung basta tinaype na lang. Oh ayan nagTagalog na ko ha, naniniwala ka na na pinay ako? nn
Akira-kun - Thanks thanks! (hugs akira-kun) Hey don't worry about the fighting scenes between Sakura and Sasuke, I have something in mind now... hehehe. Thanks for the encouragement!
xLindsayx - you like her new attitude? I hope they will like it too, you know she's kind of... like I mentioned in the first chapter, she adopted Sasuke's character after he left. So.. there... thanks again!
One more thing, I would like to advertise my recent works... Where should I go? and Crystal Ring (this fic is dedicated to all of you, a gift, actually for Christmas). Thanks for supporting me!! And oh I just wanted to share this... I BOUGHT A KONOHA FOREHEAD PROTECTOR!! NYAHAHA! I've been wearing this thing for almost 1 and a half days. I can't place it on my head so I put it around my neck like Hinata's. Last night I put it on my forehead, trying to mimic Itachi's look, but what I noticed it... dang! I looked like Neji!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (phew what a long Author's note...)