Hello, everyone! Here is the fourteenth chapter of Healing Demons. Please review and enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto only.
SUMMARY: Sakura was a diligent medical student with dreams and aspirations of greatness. Sasuke's dreams had been crushed by a dark past, leaving him broke and depressed. What happened when these two crossed paths and their lives got interwoven together? Modern world AU
Ridiculous. Sasuke felt ridiculous, constrained, like the sleeves of his shirt were cutting off his circulation. But, he pressed on, feeling more like a prized mare on display than a young adult who finally cleaned himself up for a change. It was so far out of his comfort zone that he was walking on a tightrope thousands of feet above the solid ground.
It was busy that night, a much busier crowd than he was accustomed to dealing with, more than he'd care to tolerate. The quiet murmurs cloaked around him, taunting, teasing as he made his way through the golden hallways of the museum. His new shoes chafed the back of his heels; Sasuke knew there would be fresh blisters greeting him the next morning. He scrunched his nose in cringing disgust, digging his hands deeper within his pockets and finding himself second guessing his decision to come.
But his brief wash of grumpiness dried like a hazy desert as he gazed to his left, eyes clinging to the young woman admiring the old paintings that lined the marble walls like tattoos in a parlor. As she gazed at the pictures, frozen, immobilized in time, Sasuke noted her silence, her quiet tumult.
Sakura didn't seem to be her usual self, and Sasuke felt concern dig its claws into him.
She kept moving forward, step by step, click by click of her shoes across the shining floor. Soft strands of the lightest blonde, appearing strawberry at certain angles of light, fell into her eyes, cupping her cheeks and effortlessly framing her face. But the burning that normally raged within her irises seemed to be dim, barely a flicker, as it was snuffed out by an unusually rainy day.
Sasuke was overly-accustomed to the rain.
Normally, Sasuke did not incite conversation. Normally, he'd be the one to end it with a big, fat period. But as he watched Sakura walk aimlessly forward, hands clasped tightly behind her back, drifting off into her own world, Sasuke longed to reach out to her, hold onto her, and sing out to her. His fingers twitched, muscles strained as he picked up his pace to match her own. Sakura didn't seem to notice or pay any mind. It was such a stark contrast to her thoughtful attentiveness that drew him to her in the first place.
Sasuke didn't want any signs to go unheeded or ignored, not when he knew what it was like to spiral down that rabbit hole.
Inexperienced, yet sure he needed to wind her attention off whatever troubled her, Sasuke cleared his throat and said the words that came to mind, as natural as he could bring himself to be. "So, uh, how was your day, today? I mean, if you want to talk about it, that is."
Sakura silently turned from the gilded walls, emblazoned by the deepest hues of bronze and copper, and framed by the heavy pictures limning its skin. Her eyes meandered over to Sasuke, trailing from his inquisitive eyes to his voluminous lips to his itching hands no longer hiding within his pockets. She seemed to be sleepwalking through a night she'd normally cherish.
Sasuke's lips tugged into a deep rooted frown.
"It was...eventful to say the least," Sakura sighed, breathing out the air that seemed to clog her airways. She turned forward again, slowly continuing to walk in any direction, lost to her thoughts. Naruto and Hinata remained far ahead of the pair, seemingly more interested in each other than the art surrounding them. Sasuke supposed he didn't blame them; they had been physically apart for so long, torn apart by an overbearing and intrusive family. He could really relate to her in that respect.
Sakura kept walking, but turned to look at Sasuke again. Taking that as his cue to keep matching her step, Sasuke compensated in long strides to catch up to her. He kept quiet as Sakura continued, "There are things you can't prepare for, no matter how ready you are to take things on."
"Ah, no one is ever really ready for what life has to offer. It's always a gamble, never in your favor," Sasuke agreed, letting the sympathy and understanding that seemed so foreign to him take over him, possess him. It was disconcerting to be the one in the position to offer comfort, but he truly didn't enjoy seeing others suffer, no matter how much it seemed he enabled it, much less Sakura; she was sunlight obscured by the storm clouds above her. He wasn't the wisest man by far, but Sasuke could fake it if it made Sakura feel even incrementally better.
"I wouldn't really care to try so hard if that was the way I looked at things. I like to view life as something filled with unexpected surprises that you can make the best of, regardless of how helpless they make you feel," Sakura replied as she pondered a painting that came into view, halting to take it in. It was of a young girl, no older than the age of ten, dressed in a ruffled dress and blonde pigtails, tightly curled and high up on the top of her small head.
She had fallen backwards, knee deep in a sparkling summer creek in the bright of day. She was sopping wet, drenched from her descent; any other young girl dressed to the nines would have likely been devastated, yet this girl was filled to the brim with joy. Cuts and scabs lined her knees and elbows, yet they were disregarded as she turned her face to the sun and let her laugh ring in the sky. Her smile illuminated the frame, and Sakura seemed so drawn to it, leaving her words behind in a thoughtless trail.
"That's...true, I suppose," Sasuke replied as he veered to a stop directly behind Sakura, taking in her scent as she continued gazing at the painting. He spotted Naruto and Hinata pressing forward, immersed in each other as he stopped with Sakura. Sasuke wanted to step closer, to grab her hip and pull her to him, but it wasn't the time or place to engage in such actions. Instead, he remained rooted behind her and continued, "It must be quite a life skill to be able to do that, turn something bad into something much better. It certainly isn't easy when that's all that seems to come along for you."
Sasuke knew he'd never be able to see through rose-colored glasses, no matter how hard he'd try.
"Sunny days are rare, but if you learn to enjoy jumping in the puddles from the rainy ones, it lets these things get much more tolerable," Sakura replied, turning on her heel, spinning to fully face Sasuke. Her hair whipped around her features, framing her frantic eyes as she added, "I'm trying to love the rain."
As she stood there, teetering on the edge with tears lining her face, Sasuke debated asking what upsetted her so greatly. Dig deeper and risk picking at fresh wounds, or bite his tongue and risk allowing Sakura to spiral. Between a rock and a hard place, Sasuke felt forced to make a decision, though he knew that was never her intention. Sakura was distressed, clearly upset about something beyond his current understanding. Maybe even someone she encountered during her day.
Her emotions were like day and night, a complete 180 from their encounter the night before.
"I don't know what is causing you so much hurt," Sasuke said as he stepped closer to Sakura, bringing his hands reassuringly to her bare shoulders. He decided on his latter option, but refused to let her feel like she was facing anything alone. Not when she'd already done so much for him. Their eyes locked, and all of the surroundings melted away like ice cream sitting in a blazing summer sun. "But just know that whatever it is, you are stronger than it ever will be."
"When did you become so wise?" Sakura teased as a soft smile drifted into place, overtaking the hurt that blemished her lips. Sasuke's heart fluttered like he had developed a murmur; it was a foreign feeling to him, but her white smile seemed to become one of his weaknesses. She stepped even closer, closing the gap between the pair, and wrapped her thin arms around Sasuke's waist. He reflexively tensed, ready to shove her away; Sasuke was so unused to physical affection, avoiding it like the plague. But, Sasuke reminded himself that this was Sakura, this was warmth, his new home.
One by one, each bone in his body slowly gave way, caving in to Sakura fully, unabashedly and letting his arms slink around her. He felt weakened, no holds barred as he tugged her head to his chest, which tightened as she dug her face into his shoulder as if she were hiding unshed tears. As Sasuke glanced behind her to rove over the painting she just studied, he realized that maybe he had placed her on too high of a pedestal, and that was unfair to her.
Just because she put on a strong front for the world didn't mean she didn't weather her own storms, and just because she wanted to help others didn't mean she didn't need love of her own.
It made him feel so ashamed to take so long to realize that. For Sakura to literally spell it out for him that she was sad, needed someone to be there for her. He was naive, he was inexperienced. He was not good enough, and never would be.
But as Sakura squeezed him tighter, soaking him in as if he could somehow bring her some stability, however misguided that notion was, Sasuke remained firm in his plan to fake his wisdom, fake his courage, and fake his strength. Because as long as what he felt for Sakura was real, he supposed everything else would fall into place.
Pulling back from Sasuke and looking up slightly into his eyes, Sakura sighed, but didn't let go, didn't remove herself from his hold. It was almost as if they'd found a home within each other. "It's my turn to say thank you. I mean, I know it isn't easy for you to be open, but it means everything that you are with me."
"You are...thankful?" Sasuke mirrored as he blinked and took in her admission. Had there ever been anyone in his life thankful for him? Even when he had risked his skin for all of the wrong people, even when he'd bent over backwards for those wretched skeletons? Was she looking for the right things in the wrong place? He felt so conflicted, so unnecessarily recognized that he was compelled to defend himself against her gratefulness. But he knew she wouldn't allow it to slip through his fingers. "I will...continue to be here. I have nowhere else to go."
"I'll take that as your version of a 'you're welcome'," Sakura chuckled, patting him firmly on his chest with a warm open palm. Retracting her eyes from Sasuke's, leaving him cold from the lack of her reignited fire, Sakura gazed downwards at the hands that laid flat on Sasuke's chest and fell silent, letting the faint smile fall away. As if it wasn't meant to exist in the first place. She whispered, "What if I'm not good enough? What if I fail those I care about?"
"You will not be a failure. You will always be good enough," Sasuke relied, not sure how else to console her. He was so used to being the one who was lost, who was down on himself. He was so used to denying pretty words, rejecting the notion he could be lifted back up that he did not know how to handle being on the other side of the glass. As he glanced down at Sakura, frowning at his ineptitude and inability to be a pillar of support, Sasuke merely added, "Look at me. I never thought I'd be out here, caring for anything for the life of me. But here we are, thanks to you."
Starting from her chest, up through her throat, and out through her pink lips, Sakura let out a hearty laugh. As it resounded from her, it rang through the air and danced its way through Sasuke's ears, causing a shiver to ripple throughout his entire body. It was getting increasingly strange how seriously she affected him, yanking a subtle, nervous choke from him.
Sakura patted his chest one last time before peeling herself from his arms and spinning back around to study the painting once more. As her warmth left him, Sasuke fought against reeling it back in. He nearly missed it as Sakura whispered, "It's not that I"m not happy to hear that; I'm actually thrilled. But what good am I when all I can offer are words over actions?" She spun to face Sasuke, looking pleadingly into his eyes. "What good am I if I don't know how to save a life?"
"Why do you need to save a life to avoid feeling worthless?" Sasuke asked, masking the twinge of hurt and sadness that melded into one in his heart. It wasn't as if people hadn't tried talking sense into him; it had been an impossible task to many, many who have tried their hand. But it truly made him feel sick to his stomach to hear Sakura think so lowly of herself when she was anything but, and he felt overpoweringly helpless to affect any change.
"Why try at all when I can't save even one person?" Sakura replied, voice cracking briefly before it molded back together. She was in public, and had to remind herself of that fact so she wouldn't let herself break down in front of everyone. Especially when everyone else was adorned in sparkling jewels and draped in lovely evening clothing, celebrating a merry night out. All in high spirits when all she felt was overwhelming guilt and remorse and it shone through her eyes like an hourglass.
"You've spent so much time and effort trying to get me to see my worth when I live the way I do. You're out here trying to make a difference, so why is it that you can't see yours?" Sasuke asked, letting his frustration surmount, rather than letting it stew; in all he learned from Sakura, one thing he finally grasped was his need to express things other than anger. He may not have felt anything positive, but his frustration stemmed from his care for her. He tentatively stepped towards Sakura, still unsure of his conviction to let the tables turn. "Why can't you see yourself the way I see you?"
Sakura sighed, letting her bare shoulders slump as she let the defeat wash over her. "I really am the pot calling the kettle black, huh?" She looked to her left, where she spotted Naruto and Hinata coming back into view down the wide hall of the museum, yet keeping a healthy distance as if they knew that they needed their space in that moment. "It's just hard when I feel so helpless, like things are out of my hands, when all I've ever done was try and make it otherwise."
Sasuke felt her admission deeply, personally, as if her words projected directly onto his skin. He knew what it was like to feel that absolutely everything was beyond his control, out of his hands. He knew what it was to question his own self-worth due to the forces that slipped through his fingers like cold, running water. He knew what it was to feel the world crashing down in only a moment's notice. He knew, and unlike his old self, he found the presence of empathy.
"Things do not go as planned. They're finicky and ruthless," Sasuke stated as he remained in place, tucking his hands into his pockets, knowing he couldn't physically reach out to Sakura. Not when he felt like he was underwater, struggling to breathe, fighting against the unwanted memories that demanded he be swept into the undertow. So many things out of his hands, so many things spinning out of control, yet he couldn't let himself go adrift. He couldn't get lost at sea. "I know firsthand how much of a dumpster fire life can be."
"What is it that has affected you so badly, Sasuke?" Sakura inquired, allowing the curiosity she repressed for far too long to boil over until she couldn't help but pry. Sasuke supposed he understood, considering the patience she practiced with him all that time. He'd want to know what he was getting into as well if he were wearing her shoes. But he was anchored, trying not to let his head sink below the surface of the water and couldn't, couldn't, couldn't face his demons now. Not now. Not in the middle of a busy hallway where he felt as exposed as ever.
It wasn't as if he would never tell her, he reassured himself. Yes, he would crack himself open like an oyster. An oyster without a pearl.
"Another time, Sakura," Sasuke bit out, cringing at the harsh edges of the words that spilled from his lips. He didn't want to snap, didn't want to treat her the way he did at the show the other night, but it was as if his armor hardened at the slightest touch, the smallest nudge to the edge of the cliff. Blood roared in his ears, trapping him back in his mind. But he'd been there before, nearly every day for the past year. If he couldn't face this, what was the point of making himself better? For him, and now, for others. He took a step back as Sakura took a step forward. "I promise, another time."
"You promise, huh?" Sakura asked as she crossed her arms across her chest and pouted. She nearly came across as childish, but Sasuke knew better, knew it was her way of accepting his answer, despite her opening up to him. Sasuke knew it wasn't quite fair, but he needed a better time and place than there to divulge his inner secrets that taunted him so relentlessly.
Her eyes softened as she noticed the slight trembling that overtook him, and Sakura stepped forward and looped her right arm through Sasuke's left. She sighed as she tugged them forward together from where they stood and towards their awaiting friends. She whispered in his ear, as sweet and soft as freshly spun candy. "I'll hold you to that. We've barely scratched the surface, and it seems to be giving way."
If only she knew how true those words rang.
It had been a quiet, uneventful night after Sakura had been able to air her grievances to Sasuke. Though relentless thoughts ran marathons within her troubled mind, she did her best to ignore them and enjoy her evening. She nearly ruined her first date by having a mental breakdown, after all.
Sasuke had remained by her side the entire night until Naruto pulled him to the side for what she could only assume was quality "guy time". Either that, or Naruto was surprisingly good at hiding any worries that could slip through the cracks - and that was surely an improvement.
As Sakura sat on a hard bench, leaning against the wall with her brown bag resting in her lap, she wearily sighed. Sasuke didn't ask for much, but maybe she thought too much of herself. Maybe she sat on a throne full of ignorance and arrogant passion. She had a lot less to offer than she originally thought, she supposed.
Rolling her head to her left, Sakura looked towards Hinata. She was sitting there contentedly, eyes closed with a faint smile painted on her pale pink lips. Breathing softly and looking pleasantly at peace, it was clear she was comfortable with the silence between them. They had been so close for so long that words were unneeded to enjoy each other's company.
Yet, Sakura had hit a brick wall. She was second guessing her worth, though she knew better. Even Sasuke knew better. If he could move forward within himself, why did she find it so difficult, despite her own advice? Why was it easier to provide support than to receive it? She wanted to know more, do more for herself, but couldn't find her footing. What would help her see beyond the haze that formed?
"It's nice to have you back, Hinata," Sakura smiled as she reached out to pat her friend's clothed leg. Hinata had been parted from them for quite some time, due to complicated family politics far beyond her own comprehension. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata had been tightly knit growing up, sharing secrets and being there for each other at every twist and turn. Though their friendship was not nearly as fiery as the one she shared with Ino, the one Sakura held with Hinata brought her calm and serenity. The young woman was wise beyond her years and had such a gentle nature, a soothing vibe to offer that it was simple to take everything in stride with her. Sakura watched as her friend opened her seemingly lavender eyes and turned to her, deepening her delicate smile. "It really is. You've been sorely missed."
"It's great to be back. My time away was productive, but it was lonely," Hinata replied softly as she turned slowly to face Sakura. She was wearing a sheer purple shawl, deep and nearly iridescent; she pulled it further over her shoulders, left bare by the creme halter dress she wore. Hinata was modest, but she certainly knew how to dress, that was for sure. She always made it a point to hide her cleavage, not wanting it to become the focal point of any outfit. If Sakura had the goods, she thought, she'd make it a point to embellish them, flaunt them. "It's refreshing to be out and about, with no expectations, not needing to impress anyone."
"Yeah, it must be tough to keep your chin up when your family's so intense. But you're a resilient one," Sakura said, retracting her hand back to her lap, sighing and letting her head glide back to facing forward. She lowered her gaze, looking straight through her empty hands as if she were merely a ghost. She used to have the world within her grasp, but she felt it was slipping through her fingers like water. She added, "Naruto's a lucky guy, to have you by his side. You two could take on anything together."
"Heh, that sounds familiar...but really, it's not like that. We're lucky to have each other," Hinata replied, turning even further towards her friend until her right knee was resting on the shiny wooden bench they perched on. Her eyes were so, so soft, so sweet, a clear reflection into her gentle soul. Gosh, Sakura missed her balancing calm, able to quell the most chaotic of minds. Sakura let herself bask in Hinata's soothing voice as she continued to look down. "Things like what we have, they take time and effort. It doesn't come easy. You of all people know where hard work can lead you."
"On a wild goose chase," Sakura replied, turning to Hinata's gaze, allowing the pleading and the anxiety and the uncertainty filter through her own. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she supposed that she needed someone to unload her worries onto. And Hinata would allow that, no matter how troubling they may be. Sakura sighed for the millionth time that night. "There's all this talk about working hard and achieving your dreams, but sometimes that doesn't seem to be enough. It's heartbreaking when you can't stop the inevitable."
"But you've got us. You always have and always will," Hinata replied, her candied voice caressing Sakura lovingly. She had not a bad bone resting in her body, nor ill intention laden in her soul. While Sakura's thoughts swirled in a tumultuous tornado, Hinata had mastered the art of stopping them in their tracks. She was handed more than she could carry early on in life, but handled it all with grace. Her eyes softened like ice cream in the warm sun, understanding and full of care. "What's going on, Sakura? It's not like you to be so cynical."
"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Sakura dryly chuckled. Turning her gaze back down to her bare hands, she confessed. "My old mentor is dying, and I had no idea. It's tearing me up inside that I had no clue." Letting these thoughts fester, eating her up inside would be so unhealthy, and being able to get even a little pressure off her chest gave her room to breathe. She needed this, needed her friend. Sakura turned back up to look Hinata directly in the eyes, sparkling with unshed tears. "I spent the day taking care of her, and all signs point to her not getting any better. And it was under my nose the entire time."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Sakura, I really am," Hinata replied, scooching closer to her to place a gentle hand on Sakura's smooth bare arm, shaking from trepidation. As Sakura gazed back downwards, downcast and distraught, Hinata bent forward to meet her green eyes, grasping their attention in an embrace, nurturing and full of wonder. Full of nothing but love and starlight. Care and concern and everything in between. Sakura couldn't help but painfully smile, her chest warm from finally being able to see her friend once more. A bittersweet, pained smile. "But you can't blame yourself. You have your own life to live, and I'm sure she wouldn't want you to dwell on what you didn't see, what you couldn't have possibly seen, but what you have the capability of doing. Put your best foot forward, and I'm confident you'll find a way to help her, no matter what it is."
"You always know the right things to say. They're pretty words, but I'll hold onto them," Sakura answered as she leaned back onto the varnished wall behind her. Gazing up at the ceiling, intricately painted with jolly angels and celebrators alike, she couldn't help but puff out the air of irony. Here she was, sinking into the claws of her despair when all she tried to preach was otherwise. Her sanity was slipping like an avalanche, but she couldn't let herself get pulled under. "It's hard to transition to a new life and I don't think I can go at it alone."
"I don't think anyone can. Everyone needs at least one person in their corner," Hinata softly replied, leaning back herself, but remaining upright, back straight and shoulders squared. She came across as very prim and proper, but Sakura knew her posture and manners came from years of putting on a show, forced to ride the long coattails of her family name.
Hinata never complained, never denounced her upbringing, no matter how deeply it hurt her; Sakura supposed that was inherent to her, but it didn't hurt that Naruto remained in the picture the entire time, much to her father's dismay. He was her person.
Sakura glanced to her left without moving her head, watching as Hinata tilted her head up, letting silky strands of dark hair fall over her shawl-covered shoulders, gazing through the ceiling like a window and into the night sky above, adding, "I don't think I would be where I am today without that."
Sakura kept her eyes locked on her friend, letting her thoughts canter through her mind. She imagined how it must have been for her with everything written out for her the moment she was born. To have all her steps, all her expectations laid out without any room to compromise. It must have been disheartening to have a family that didn't support your hopes and dreams. Sakura couldn't even imagine.
"How has it been for you, since you came back?" Sakura asked as she looked back ahead, snagging her gaze on Sasuke and Naruto conversing further away from them. The guys were off in a corner to her right, and though they faced the painting that hung regally on the wall, Sakura could tell they paid it no regard. Sasuke's shoulders were tense, hands buried in his pockets, and Naruto stood with a ramrod back, arms crossed and legs spread sturdily apart. They were clearly having their own heart to heart, and the nosy part of Sakura wanted to sneak between them and eavesdrop. She quickly shook that thought away. "I hope you weren't too lonely while you were away, especially considering we weren't even allowed to reach you."
"It's been hard, I'm not going to lie. When you've spent so much time under the thumb of strict rules, it's tough to transition to regular society," Hinata signed, voice so soft, so gentle that it seemed to get lost in the echo of the open air. Hinata continued, looking down to her delicate hand, folding each finger one over another in an unending loop, never to finish, no one to win. Sakura spied a slight tremble in Hinata's upper lip, but it stiffened as soon as it came undone.
She continued, lifting her head back up, looking forward past the crowd, past her boyfriend, past the solid adorned walls to something beyond Sakura's scope, something that was likely buried deep inside her, locked away with the strongest steel. "But that's the price to pay being born into this kind of life."
"That's insanity, rationalizing all of this," Sakura countered, lifting herself upright and placing her hands on her knees with locked elbows, trying to support her weight. She knew she didn't understand, knew she hadn't worn the shoes, but she was forced to sit idly by while it all took its toll on Hinata. Maybe she didn't see the whole picture, but she cared enough to speak her piece. "You couldn't choose, and knowing you, Hinata, you wouldn't have gone down this path even if you could. What's the point in defending something that makes you feel so small?"
"Because you learn to do what you need to in order to get by," Hinata answered, still emptily gazing forward into nothing, simmering within her memories, getting lost within them like losing herself to the stars hanging in the sky. Sakura's chest tightened, clenched even further as Hinata added, "It's not about what I need to grin and bear to me. Not when, at the end of the day, I have people I can come back to at the end of the day that truly care about me. Without any facade, or expectations."
"It must be hard, to grow up thinking like that," Sakura whispered as she leaned back onto the smooth gilded wall behind her, feeling weak, feeling defeated, like she couldn't turn over a mere pebble. She thought of her parents, how they supported her endeavors, regardless of what they were. They had always told her she could be a stripper, and they'd still be proud of her as long as she remained happy, content within her own skin.
Then her thoughts drifted to Sasuke, and, like a ripple casting through the stillest pond, realized that he probably carried the same burden as Hinata; he had to carry on with expectations digging into his skin like knives yet needing to stitch himself back together from each slice.
Sakura knew he had it rough, she really did, but she didn't have the perspective to truly grab hold of him, pull him forward. Not without running them straight into a wall, sturdy and deliberate.
"Yes, well, I'm one of the lucky ones," Hinata chuckled almost sadly as Sakura watched her line of sight shift over to Sasuke's hunched back, eyes glowing with the most painful understanding Sakura had ever seen shine. She bit her lip to swallow her erratic breath, cold and numbing as it did everything but keep her head level. "I've come out on the other side relatively unscathed. But, being a part of this system takes different tolls on different people. Our actions not only define us; our family's reactions to them do as well."
"How cruel and unfair," Sakura pouted as she also gazed toward the young man's back, burning holes into it as if she couldn will oxygen to his lungs like poking holes into a closed container. She hadn't been blind, but Hinata's words opened her eyes further. She never realized Sasuke'd be the one to hold her heart, never realized that she'd let someone so broken hold it delicately within their arms.
But here she was, ready to go to bat for this guy, so damaged by things yet still so unknown, so unaware of how strong he really was to endure all that she did know about. As she watched the boys carry on their own conversation beyond her ringing ears, Sakura whispered, "If all you need is one person to climb out alive, then that's more than enough."
Sakura sighed, closed her eyes to face the darkness it offered and plopped herself back against the wall, slumping as she gave herself fully to that reprieve, shutting out the world around them for merely a moment. She admitted it so softly, a confession on the night wind, but she knew Hinata heard her as her friend added, a beautiful smile filtered through her words. "All you need is one. All he needs is you."
Sakura smiled herself, eyes still squeezed shut. All it takes is one person to change the world. And if she could do it for Sasuke, she could do it for anyone.
He really lit a fire in her, and it hurt Sakura that he could see his effect on her. She would give anything to show him the love he didn't feel from his own family.
Not quite a replacement, that was for sure. But she'd carve her own place in his heart while she offered her own. Yes, she'd do whatever it took.
Sasuke deserved it.
Hello everyone! This was chapter fourteen. Finally, Sakura is getting some outside perspective into Sasuke's life. What do you think she will do with this information? Do you think she'll be able to help him? Help Chie? Help herself? Only time will tell!
As always, please like/subscribe/review and let me know what you think! I love and appreciate you all! :)