SAKUR:A
Chapter 6: Almost Human Yet Never
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The empty conference room was lit with sunlight of a cloudy afternoon, no signs of rain, just cloudy. Only the Uchihas retained themselves after the meeting:
Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke.
The trio stayed silent for a while before the elderly woman decided to speak,
"What have you done...Sasuke…?"
There was distress in her tone along with her brows that arched unfavourably.
"Why Sasuke? Out of so many people...As though she was back from the dead…"
She held her chest, breathed heavily; she could hardly believe what she saw and she could hardly agree on the fact that her son had recreated an imitation: of Sakura.
"Mom, it's just a robot," Itachi whispered in her ears as he brushed her back in hopes to soothe her.
Sasuke on the other hand, stood facing the window, gazing out into the distance where outside the metropolitan view was picturesque. He said nothing, kept his cool with his hands in his lab coat pockets before he decided to take a smoke.
"Sasuke, mom's talking to you." Itachi immediately stopped his brother from lighting up the tobacco. "Show some respect."
The younger Uchiha frowned, grumpily, he jerked Itachi's hand from his and kept the cigarette away then continued to stare out of the window.
Itachi shook his head helplessly at his brother.
"Sasuke." Mikoto gently placed her hand against her stubborn son's shoulder.
He became thinner, she thought and she needn't question why. Her conscience was clear of her answer.
"I'm not saying that you've done something wrong. Your idea wasn't rejected by the members. Project Solo was a fine suggestion but...just not this robot. Not Sakura…"
Mikoto shook her head, her voice trembled.
"Why not?" Sasuke flashed his fearsome eyes towards his mother.
"Don't you feel that this isn't right? Have you considered the people who knew Sakura before she died? What about Souma? Sosuke?" Mikoto forced her son to face her when he avoided her gazes,
"As if their mother rose from the dead. Or perhaps you made that robot to replace their human mother? Don't you think that's...cruel?"
"I don't see a problem to that," Sasuke answered monotonously as he continued to avoid Mikoto's eyes.
He is still a child, no matter how much he had aged, as a mother, Mikoto understood,
"You make them dwell in the past! A past that wasn't pretty. Souma was there remember? When Sakura had her last breath, Souma was by her side. Watching her die! You considered nothing about the children, as a father, as a husband!"
"I spent three years of sleepless nights to build an ultimate weapon for the country. To dispose of Bu'Lan! Isn't that what Konoha wanted all these years of fighting!?" Sasuke yelled.
"Sasuke! You have no right to speak in such a way to the Minister of Defence. And, your mother!"
Itachi was inches away from his brother, he would not tolerate this insolence towards the elderly woman he held dearly.
"Shut up, Itachi! This is not your place to cut in!"
"It is my right and duty to oversee the overall of the council!" Itachi scolded before he mellowed, "I guess you should leave, get your head cooled, Sasuke. Go home."
He understood his almost-twin brother; the hot-headed, stubborn, smart little brother. Sasuke was overly worked out during the council meeting this morning and all that happened was just...bloody. He could imagine that pool of red on the floor, the splatters and the choking.
To him, it was truly a cruel sight...then what would it be to Sakura?
Out of her will. She...no…
Sasuke did it.
His hatred did it.
"Sasuke...I know...I know you might not listen to me but before the Council approves. Please reconsider. Please dispose the robot," Mikoto held her son firmly as she looked into those exhausted dark irises of his broken son.
Eyes that could not see hope and the future, clouded by despair, agony and sheer hatred. She didn't want that, as parent, a mother, she wouldn't want her child to suffer this way. All she wanted was to see her child free of sorrow, lead the simple life, happy. That's all to it.
It's that simple.
Sasuke glared. He wanted to fight her words but decided to leave instead.
"Sasuke. Sasuke." She began calling to no avail, Itachi held her back, shook his head,
"Mom. Don't…Leave him be, he's tired."
"Sasuke…," she uttered quietly as the both watched the leaving figure slowly disappeared behind the door with a slam.
"Itachi...I understand…"
"What mom?"
"I understand that boy. He is my son after all. Both of you. The both of you had it hard in putting what you have in heart into words. Like your father, who couldn't say he loved me when he does more than I knew."
Itachi chuckled.
Mikoto sighed,
"Mom, knows how much Sasuke loved her. He couldn't put down the guilt he shouldered…," she sighed sadly again.
"No... It should be me apologising. I should have done better to save that girl when there actually there was a chance." She paused recalling time,
"Because of pride as Minister, I let my son down… I compromised for something I thought it was important; I failed to realise that what I would come to lose wasn't just a daughter but my son, Souma and Sosuke. I broke their hearts; their soul. I should be sorry, not your brother…"
She sighed, tears were on the brink of falling.
Tears of regret.
"If only I could rewind time."
"Don't mom. The past cannot come back, so does the dead."
"But she did." Mikoto's face lit a bit, joking.
"Somehow. Yeah…"
The two exchanged smiles.
.
.
.
On the building rooftop…
.
Buried her face between her arms and legs, the pink haired robot curled up at one corner, hoping to disappear from the eye of the light...from the world.
A sulking robot…
Funny to say that this was an unnatural occurrence.
Against laws of logic. Yet,
This female robot feels it.
Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.
A pair of approaching footsteps was soon heard, Sakura didn't react towards the individual who came for she knew only one human would care; Itachi.
No one, not even her master would thought of searching for her when she ran out of the council room as fast as she could from the horror that happened.
She heard his clothes ruffled softly as lowered himself in close distance, then he called,
"Sakura."
Why, Itachi?
Why must he be so kind?
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( Itachi's POV )
"Sakura." I attempted again..
With her face hidden, I watched her drown deep into her sorrows. What a weird reaction for something that shouldn't be alive.
Sasuke truly is a robot freak. He made so many...many robots from shrinking in size to disappearing. I had to admit that he was a genius that made miracles.
Still, that stupid brother outdone himself this time…
A living robot.
I chuckled at heart. Frankly, I salute that idiot.
Like mom said,
He missed Sakura. Very much.
No one could do this to that guy except for my sister-in-law. Yeah…
This Sakura.
To be forced into the shoes of someone whom you didn't know yet you bear the memories and unfinished missions of the dead
A face that held so many identities, so many responsibilities...
Should I pity you or should I think that this is what you were intended to shoulder? I don't know.
But I ache for you, robot.
I feel your confusion, the digging pain. So, hold on little robot. Once your mission is over, I'll try to set you free...and by then do you want to be free from living?
It's a cruel fate that you were born this way.
I truly ache for you…
Let me console you, even if I could reach out to ease that pain just a little, let me do it. So hold on, Sakura.
Gently, I held out my hand to stroke the fine pink hairs of the sulking robot. It was smooth and soft; they were well crafted fibres with an identical pink dye.
From my touch, Sakura held up her head.
She was 'crying'.
There were no reddened eyes or tears. All I knew that she hoped to cry yet she didn't have the capability. No. She wasn't given the ability to do so.
Those green eyes. Sigh…
You're an imitation of Haruno Sakura, Sakura. You bore an ill fated human's fate and continued the unfortunates of her footsteps.
Fate is fate.
"Where you crying, Itachi…?" she confusingly asked me.
"Because you couldn't. I'll cry for you…," I said and held her into an embrace.
She needed someone and there's no one for her. That's because she isn't human Sakura who has a husband, two children, an Uchiha family and her people in Bu'Lan.
For robot Sakura, there's nothing…
I could feel her return my embrace a little,
"Don't hold me, Itachi. I'm dirty. I've so much blood on my hands...it's not going away."
Then we pulled apart where she turned staring at her hands. There was nothing on them just plain skin. She kept staring as if there was something. Blood.
"I...I...killed someone…"
Trauma. She had yet to accept the fact she killed the man out of her control. Honestly, I was a little shaken up by the moment where she could kill with bare hands. The power she has...was terrifying. Agreeable. I finally understood the reason Sasuke had her memories sealed.
To eliminate hesitation.
To induce cruelty.
To emit fear.
To display Konoha's power.
His intention was clear: protect Konoha, acres in vengeance and take down the enemy for good. And the price was this little robot…
The life of this little robot.
"I killed someone, Itachi! My hands were stained with so much blood…!"
Sakura raised her voice in agony while staring into my eyes.
Don't do that Sakura. I know. But I couldn't portray too much sympathy towards you or else Konoha's hopes on you would be lost. Sasuke's work would be in vain. I wished to help you but I couldn't...not too much, not now.
"It's something you should do. Weren't you a Bu'Lanian spy? You were trained to kill. This isn't something new. I know he's innocent to you but you've forgotten who you've become."
She quietly listened to me,
"You're part of Konoha. Bu'Lan is the enemy no matter who. You've got to set your feelings aside. You are our hope."
She lowered her head, back to her hands again.
"I...I…cannot guarantee...even to myself that I might hurt my family or Konoha one day…," she continued. "I fear the blood on my hands might be Sasuke's or Souma's...Sosuke's...you…I just couldn't…," she covered her face.
Speechless. I was speechless. I...had no idea she had such thoughts. When I selfishly thought of Konoha, Sasuke and us. It had never crossed me that she was only thinking about her family not herself.
Sakura.
You were more human than I thought.
Just like Sakura. Despite her identity as a soldier of Bu'Lan, she surrendered herself to love, abandoned her mission and lived among us in Konoha.
Those days, I had doubts that she never gave up being a spy to infiltrate Konoha's defence system for the good of her mission. I always had questions towards her marriage to Sasuke was for higher intentions but...I still believed she was different than the rest of the Bu'Lanians who were violent and irrational.
I guess that doubt had been put to rest.
Even after death and 'reincarnated' in being a robot, Sakura had always loved us.
She was long Uchiha that we all ever knew.
I'm sorry I doubted you after so long. I hope it wasn't too late to apologise?
Maybe I could do something to help in return…
Before I could reach out to her, the pink haired female stood to her feet. She gazed into the sky aimlessly, allowing the winds that suddenly gushed mess her hair.
From the bottom I crouched, she stood tall. A mighty woman she was. She always have been.
Closing her eyes shortly, she opened them again to say with a frown,
"I won't let that happen," in the most determined voice.
I had a bad feeling.
A very bad feeling.
If I was a little smarter, I would have held her tight. I let her sprint towards the edge of the building, past the safety rails.
No. No. NO!
I wasn't fast enough compared to her inhuman ability, I couldn't stop her.
I've said too much. I thought I could make things better. Why do I always say the wrong words!? Sasuke was right; I should have kept my mouth shut!
I panicked even more, stood rooted on the spot as I watched Sakura at the edge of leaping forward.
Of this insanely tall building.
Don't.
Don't do it!.
"DON'T SAKURA!"
She slightly turned her head. For the last time,
"I just don't want to hurt anyone…"
Don't.
I watched. I only got to watch. Did nothing as she took the jump. NO!
"SAKURAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Greetings from Blue:
Hi everyone!
Thank you so much for the lovely comments, encouragement and your wonderful thoughts! It was amazing and you guys were amazing too. I was glad that I got to make your day (if I did) reading this chap. And you guys in return made me eager to update as soon as I could.
Okay, I've been receiving some suggestions/ questions about whether this is going to be an only Saku POV story or will there be other POVs along the way.
Well...I...will save this for later (I ain't being stingy, that's part of reading, right?) :D
Anyway, if the story fits, I might consider inserting other POVs.
Again, I hope you guys enjoy yourselves.
Fanofthisfiction: Hi there lovely. Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. Well, for dark background we can change our reading background colour to black and words white (likes turn off the lights thingy). Sorry if I misused the wrong term for dark background but there's this feature for readers to turn off to night mode thing (I'm being fun so I could get the mood of the chapter :D). Anyway, thanks for reading and review. Hope you'd continue to enjoy the rest upcoming chaps. See you again!
LoveSS4life: Hello dearie. Thanks for the review. For the rest of characters POV, it's a lovely suggestion and I guess that this chapter does as you guessed it to be? Yay! But I cannot say for future chapters; if things fit well I might do others POV. Guess many liked to read how others think about Robot Saku eh? Well, let's hang on and see what comes soon enough. Thank you for reviewing. Lovely reading to you~