Someone Screaming

The Alternate Story – Dim Light

Ayane Selznick

Author's Note: I did promise to make the last of the chapters, but I think I have to amend for this one. I didn't want to rush. I still want this story, the alternate, to be in its proper end, so allow me to have a little more time.

Please Read and Review.

The three from the Akatsuki Organization's mess had been repaired. From where the battle scene occurred to the people who were patched up at the hospital, except of course Sakura herself.

Above all which, everything had been settled. Konohagakure was back for service.

Tsunade had been waiting at her office for weeks. She had been tempted to send Kakashi for search party in concern for the two, since they haven't come back yet. Surely, finding the antidote for the curse wasn't a child's play, but Jiraiya's informative researches could have done something to make their mission trouble-free.

The Godaime would always ask Shizune if there was any sign of the two. Oftentimes, Shizune would say 'no' and 'none was reported'.

She had to calm down. And before anything else should be settled she should know what to do next or what are supposed to be in line of her schedule.

While she looked at the horizon of their restoring village, Tsunade reckoned about the things that happened back then.

A lot of things happened. A lot of people died. A lot of people suffered. And one certain person finished his business.

It was selfish of him to face his own goal while everything else was sacrificed.

She lost a number of people. The village was partly ruined and in order to rebuild it, they need her financial support. Naruto was functioned with the Kyuubi Chakra horridly. It made him a monster. Fortunately, they got there in time, sealed back the Kyuubi and obtained Naruto. Undesirably, Sakura, her best High Class Medical Nin, had suffered psychosomatic attack through Itachi's Tsukiyomi. Because the brain and its nerves serve as the functioning system inside the body, it was, they concluded, a crucial attack.

They were able to mend her physical wounds, but they were still finding a method of how to regain her consciousness. If they did not make it in time, Sakura will eventually turn as 'vegetable' – physically alive but mentally dead.

She wouldn't want that to happen. Not because she felt sorry for losing a perfect surrogating personnel at the Hospital, but because of the feeling of having a loving daughter-like be lost forever.

Despite her hellish training for the little pink haired woman, she loved her. She admired Sakura's willpower and love for the sake of her family, friends, loved ones and village, her home village.

Tsunade once mentioned to Sakura that she reminded her of someone…

…Herself.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Impulsively, Godaime reached to her eyes, wiping away the trickling salty tears that came descending to her cheeks.

Sometimes, a good cry could ease a little pain.

"Come in." She finally commanded after collecting herself.

The door opened. When Tsunade looked at whom her visitors are her eyes glimmered with surprise. Perhaps it was from the tears, or maybe because she was glad they made it back.

"It's time for you to return."

The white haired old man grinned. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Tsunade."

Shizune casually walked up the stairs to visit her friend and patient, Sakura.

When she arrived, she noticed that the two ANBU guards were talking to one another. Inquisitively she continued walking until she stopped in front of them.

"What's the buzz?" She asked.

"Shizune-san," One of them started, "That young man, he hasn't left the room ever since he came."

She raised a brow. "And since when did he come?"

"Last night." The other supplied.

The Special Jounin, the rank was claimed seeing as she was assessed being the Hokage's assistant, looked passed the two masked Ninjas. Visiting hours was over and here he was, as they imply a 'man', settled himself inside the room with her patient. A thought struck her mind.

She sharply turned to the bird masked ANBU.

"How could you possibly let someone in? Did you consider him suspicious?"

Both of them shook their heads. The bird masked ANBU voluntarily supplied the Special Jounin.

"Kakashi-san told us to let him in. He hasn't done anything inside."

"And how sure are you? Did you look inside?"

He shook his head.

"Then how did you know that everything's okay?"

"Kakashi-san told us that is was okay. He will not hurt Sakura-san."

With a twitching brow, Shizune shoved the two ANBU ninjas aside. Pushing the slide door open, she allowed herself inside.

And when she stepped in, she felt her muscle stoned.

There, sitting on a chair by Sakura's bedside was none other than her ex-teammate, the brother of the perpetrator of her condition, leaning over the bed. Actually, his head was atop of his resting arm. His other hand, however, was placed atop of Sakura's pale, fragile left hand.

Uchiha Sasuke was simply sleeping next to Sakura's already sleeping form.

This scene almost made her want to cry, for Sakura's part.

She had long since known about Sakura's affectionate emotion towards the young traitor. Sakura wanted to be strong not just for her own sake, but for the sake of her team… most specifically, for his sake.

If only she was awake, Shizune was certain, that Sakura would simply jump for joy.

Even if there is a low possibility of that to happen, the little scenario right in front of her boosted her firmness to help Sakura to recover…completely.

With a little tug on her lips, Shizune walked towards the door. She would examine her later.

Two days later, Uchiha Sasuke was called for an urgent meeting. He has to meet the Hokage at her office.

He was already healed, days back, but he never left the hospital. He was staying inside Sakura's room. Although he wanted to stay a little longer, he won't receive any special treatments, so he followed orders and left for the meeting.

One of Tsunade's ANBU delivered Sasuke's clothes for him to change. After which, he was escorted towards the Hokage Tower— where everybody that Tsunade called were present.

Upon opening the door, Sasuke was greeted with grim lips and weighty stares as he walked towards the Hokage. The Hokage was sitting in front of the ninjas. The elders weren't present that day, but everybody assumed, that there was already a decision sentenced not only for Sasuke but also for the future of the village.

"How are you today, Uchiha Sasuke? Are you well?"

It was only this time when Sasuke looked up from the ground to stare at Tsunade's authoritative golden brown eyes. But he didn't answer. Would he dare say he was fine when Sakura's not doing very well in her hospital bed?

He only nodded his head.

"Very well, then." She glanced curtly at Jiraiya and Anko, who surprisingly came yesterday, bearing the news that all of them longed to hear. Now that news will be delivered today. "We've managed to discuss about your condition, the Cursed Seal, to be exact."

His eyes slowly blinked. He was disinterested.

"From our previous meetings, we've allowed you to be in the village's detention – a short served punishment, before an unexpected event happened. However, before I permitted you to take off and face your brother, I already have a decision."

This disheartened Sasuke, although, he was successful at not showing it to everybody inside the Assembly Hall.

He had betrayed the village when he was just a kid. He was in the bingo book at age 15, at the same time, fully acquiring the title of Missing-Nin. He was trained under another traitor. And lastly, he claimed the charge of mass murder in Hidden Sound.

The obvious sentence that she would say is – death.

"And that verdict is…" Tsunade pulled a scroll, untied the rope, and let the scroll rolled down for him to see, but Sasuke remained passive. His eyes settled blankly. "Purifying Orochimaru's Cursed Seal."

Majority of the people inside must have been shocked. Why would the Hokage help the traitor by cleansing the Cursed Seal? She should have sentenced him to death.

Or maybe, it was one way before sentencing him to death, as most pessimistic observant would dare say.

Sasuke, however, remained stoic in his position. He was sure that his senses weren't deceiving him, but this was far too good. The Hokage? The Hokage will relieve him of his long-year pain?

"Then of course,"

Maybe not…

"You will be under probation for six months."

What? Sasuke shot a shocked pair of eyes towards Tsunade. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That includes working directly to me. Additional to that, I have my ANBU squad to keep an eye on you." She rolled up the scroll before continuing, "You are prohibited to loiter near the exits of Konohagakure. Most specifically, you are forbidden to get out of the village until the six months probation is over."

There were voices around the room that seemed to oppose the Hokage's declaration. They could not believe that the Hokage let him inside the walls of the village, but of course, his power will soon be decreased once the Cursed Seal is purified, so the anxiety for his future reckless assault will no longer be a threat.

Even so, the evidence that he was indeed a traitor was apparently cast on his title. Most of them would say that the Hokage should not allow traitors such as him, Uchiha Sasuke, to be working under her direct command, or even providing with observation from the ANBU squad. Everything seemed to be out of the picture.

On the other hand, only a few managed to smile, glad that the Hokage acquitted him somehow. The Hokage was giving Sasuke another chance to repent his previous actions against the village. Hopefully, the village will be able to watch him progress.

Before everything else was over, Sasuke managed to raise a question, with voice enveloped with disorientation and disbelief.

"You…" He coughed to rephrase, "Hokage-sama."

Tsunade could only raise a brow.

"Wha…why are you doing this?" Sasuke looked like as though he was totally unsure of what will happen next. He didn't exactly picture this scenario when he was hospitalized. "Why did you come up with this decision?"

The Hokage sighed, pushing herself up from her seat. "Sasuke-kun, I have looked back with our previous interrogation. The fact that you wanted to work on your own was clear, you seemed to be in neutral state, hence, no village has accepted you as their men, a ninja particularly."

He narrowed his eyes.

Tsunade resumed, "Furthermore, your previous village was already destroyed by yourself. I assumed that you're, most probably, returning to your traveling spree. Getting a room as your quick sanctuary, and then the next day, you'll get out and travel again. That was pointless if you will ask. You have earned your goal, you killed your brother, what else do you want?"

Sasuke shook his head again. He was doubtful. He didn't know what he wants.

"Then I suggest you to stay in my perimeter." She lazily looked at the window to her right. "Perhaps during your stay here, you will be able to find what you're looking for." She looked at him with grim eyes, "Regardless of all statements heard, I won't allow you to get away that easily. You've caused too much destruction already."

From all the questions and statements that Tsunade told, only one clear question left hanging inside his head.

"What else do you want?"

Truly, what else does he want?

The numbness was entirely covered throughout the body.

It would be hard to move for the first time. Well, if the body doesn't respond, then go for the face first.

Struggling to get any response from her nerves, she managed to wrinkle her nose. The familiar scent that came in to her nose proved that she was indeed in the place where she was opted to be. Soon, she heard something beside her bed. The continuous beeping sound from a machine adjacent to her was easily recognized. It was connected to her, it monitors her heart.

Then she tried to open her eyes. Stirring awake, her once luminous green eyes had opened into a pair of pale ones. She scanned around the room she's into. Again, it proved that she was in the place where she was supposed to be. White ceiling, white walls, grayish-white cement floor…

Hospital… Konoha Hospital...

She blinked her eyes for a few times, trying to get use to her wake. She didn't know how long she had been out. How she wished that somebody was beside her.

She turned her head to the door and managed to figure out that there were at least two people standing behind the door. Slowly and carefully, she looked at the other side. Her eyes landed on the bright sunny day from the window. Truly, she missed seeing the light.

Then she remembered a dream.

A dream where somebody was forcing her to face the darkness…

It was a dream controlled by somebody.

He was telling her things she couldn't comprehend. Then out of nowhere, she would see herself being hanged on a huge cross, with him standing in front of her. He had a katana on his right hand, mocking to pierce her flesh.

She looked at him warily and said nothing. But when he struck that sword to her flesh, she bled. She screamed. Soon she found herself cloned thousand times. He was also cloned, the same number as herself. Then the torture continued…

She fought to stay awake, never to keep her eyes close, for she knows that anytime that moment there won't be any light to save her.

When he was about to pierce her again, a deafening scream broke his world. He stopped the torture in search for the origin of the sound.

Then, there it was again. It was as if someone was screaming from another world.

The number of clones had reduced until they were back to the original number. Surprisingly her body in that world healed. And slowly she was freed from the shackles in the cross.

While the man submerged from another world, she on the other hand, noticed the dim light from the other side. Since she didn't know how to escape in the world where she was in, she would go for anything that resembles light. Because light is her freedom.

The light, even though dimmed, was more acceptable than the red moon above her. So without hesitation she followed it. She followed it until the mixed voices of the man and the angry unidentified voice came to her ears, but she ignored it. All that ever matter was her to escape.

When she reached the small dim light, everything turned blindly white. The nightmare ended.

I wonder why it occurred to my dreams… Did something happen?

She withdrew her narrowed eyes from the window, allowing them to rest on to the ground beneath the window. Now that she mentioned it, how did she end up in the hospital in the first place? Why does her body felt tired and healing at the same time? Why couldn't she get up easily? Why her head was hurting like some sledgehammer hit her? More importantly, why was she alone?

(Sudden Flashback)

"SAKURA MOVE!"

A yell that alarmed her to wake.

"Didn't my brother tell you to stay away?"

A threat that caused her to fear.

"Do you really think I'll surrender to you?"

A strong opposition to prove his loyalty.

(End of Flashbacks)

Her eyes widened.

The urge to sit up and ran past the door was tempting. Unfortunately, she couldn't even move her feet. However, she was stubborn and she was desperate to find out if her teammates were okay. She had remembered everything. She remembered the fight. And she knew who was punishing her by the cross.

She propped her upper torso with her elbows. She didn't know that she was this heavy but despite the weight and the weak condition of her limbs, she continued to move. As more sweat came down her cheeks, she kept on struggling to get away from the bed.

Suddenly, the door of her room opened.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sakura simply looked at the origin of the voice.

Hinata-chan.

To be continued…