Monday, October 14th, 2013. Apparently Columbus Day and Thanksgiving in Canada.
Happy Thanksgiving Canadians! I was going to update last night, but it took too long. Sorry.
Anyhoo, super long chappy (nearly 7k) so I won't do recommendations and stuff today. I think the latter half of today's chappy (I don't like the first half much) will make up for it.
News: I'm on fall break right now, for a week. For DoOver readers, I'm planning on making the next chapter really good. I hope it turns out well...
AotW: Coca-cola. But I'm leaning towards Pepsi a bit more than I used to because Coke, like every other soda, has been getting really sweet. But I like the coke flavor in general.
Disclaimer: Though Shikamaru is fine now (thank God), that doesn't mean I own Naruto. I wouldn't have stalled so long in the manga. Gah.
Dedication: You all because I love you.
Yesterday, I went to the Tucson Meet Yourself (a yearly festival in town - look it up) and ate a crapload of food. I felt like puking for the rest of the day. My parents are lucky I have a strong stomach... and they also made me eat dinner, too. I was barely able to hold that down.
Length of Chappy:
No A/n: Nearly 7k.
W/ A/n: Exactly 7.9k.
WARNING!: Um... more mature-ish themes in the latter half, kinda. Not enough to be rated Mature, but to put a reason to the T rating. I can't believe I even wrote that... but I like it. I really like that half. Not so much the first, I warn you.
Bunch of SasuSaku, one-sided ZakuKin . Maybe I'll have them get together later... I hate writing unrequited love. I usually fix it. That's what fanfiction's for.
Chapter 22: The Curse Mark and Sakura
Sasuke POV
I froze the moment he gave us his name. O-Orochimaru?
Hearing it sent a wave of familiarity through me (and though I hate to admit it, fear as well) as if I had known Orochimaru personally. But the feeling soon faded when I remembered that he was the same Orochimaru that Sakura told Naruto and I about. The Sannin.
But knowing all this, and feeling this way, I couldn't understand why I was so frightened. Normally, I wouldn't be this scared. Sannin, or no, there's no reason for me to be like this. I'm Sasuke freaking Uchiha for goodness' sake; this isn't like me!
Yet, I was covered with goose bumps and trembled violently.
I saw him come straight toward me. Come on, body! Move!
Nothing. Just more shaking as my legs began to feel weaker and weaker.
That's it! I'm taking over!
I felt as if something, or someone, took control of my body. Soon, it was like I was just a spectator to what my body did – as if it wasn't my own. I was just someone watching what was happening as if it were a movie from the inside. (1) You took over, Inner?
I watched as he made our body duck from Orochimaru's jump toward us, and then kick him in his stomach straight up into the air for a Lion's Barrage.(2)
Had to. Now it's all you; I can't take over for long. Too exhausting. (3)
Almost immediately after the Lion's Barrage, I was back in control and jumping away from a snake that had shot out from Orochimaru's mouth. It was disgusting to see, but I made sure to take a mental note of it. I'll have to watch for stuff coming out of his mouth from now on.
I saw from the corner of my eye as Sakura, with her hand rigid and straight, glowing with blue chakra, pierced right thought middle of the snake, disappearing through the hole she made its body as she come out from the other side, clothes and hair dirtied with blood and snake insides.(4)
It was a disturbing sight to see, but I sighed in relief as I saw Naruto use his own Uzumaki Barrage(5) to finish the snake off, no longer so worried if it was still alive. Though I'm not sure if it was really dead or not, it was at least incapacitated for quite a while.
Good job, Sakura, Naruto.
They joined me, landing beside me, and we charged Orochimaru together.
For a while, it was once again a flurry of limbs, feet and fists, weapons and ninjutsu. I thought we were finally tiring him out, and the little hope I had of us winning this thing grew just a bit.
Until, that is, Orochimaru's fingers glowed with chakra and he hit Naruto's stomach with them.
Though Orochimaru's hand came back void of blood and Naruto's shirt (his jacket was open) was also clean, he screamed and writhed on the ground, his breathing uneven and his chakra fluctuating sporadically. With my Sharingan, I was able to see Kurama's chakra trying to escape. Did Orochimaru use some sort of seal?(6)
Some waves of chakra did escape, and judging by Sakura's gasp, she was able to see it happening as well, without the Sharingan. Which I took as a bad sign. What did Orochimaru do?
Orochimaru didn't let up on is attacks, and neither Sakura nor I could find an opening to get to our friend.
After a moment of gasping for breath, choking, screaming, and wheezing, Naruto finally passed out.
Sakura and I shared a quick, worried look before nodding. Quickly, she leaped away to deposit Naruto somewhere safe.
"We're finally alone, Sssassuke-kun," Orochimaru hissed. "I've been waiting for thisss."
I shuddered. Well. He doesn't sound like a creepy pedophile or anything. Nope. Not at all.
Orochimaru stood straight for a moment, shaking himself as if to clear his thoughts.
He grinned, and I was immediately more on guard then I was before.
"Enough playing," he hissed. "You're mine!"
He sped towards me, and as I tried to dodge, I was confused when I couldn't move my feet.
Panicking, I looked down to my feet and saw snakes sprouting out from the ground, their bodies wrapped around my legs.
Desperately I tried to shake them off, pulling out a kunai as Orochimaru got nearer and nearer.
When I finally got away, I tripped and fell on my backside. I looked up to Orochimaru, who was only a few feet away from me. The distance was less than four feet and was continuing to close.
There's no time. My breath quickened as I panicked, Orochimaru's mouth open with fangs ready to pierce me. There's nothing I can do to stop him!
I closed my eyes, waiting for impact when I heard a girlish scream.
"Nooo!" It shouted.
My eyes opened to find Sakura, heaving with tears in her eyes, kicking Orochimaru away from me.
"Sasuke-kun!" she pulled me up.
"S-Sakura!" I stuttered. "I-I…"
Sakura shook her head. "Not now."
Her words and tone shocked me out of the scared daze I was in. This isn't the time for thank-you's and panicking. It's more important to survive this first.
Orochimaru stood again, walking slowly toward us once again. He looked pissed. "I've had just about enough of you, girl!"
One moment he was yards in front of us, and then the next thing Sakura or I knew, he appeared between us and stuck a kunai into her side. Before she even had time to scream from the pain, she was kicked away by Orochimaru. How did he-! Some kind of speed technique?
"Sakura!" I shouted.
Orochimaru appeared in front of me once more. "You should focus on your opponent, Sasuke-kun."
His fangs were out once again and he grabbed my arms tightly and held them to my sides, pushing me hard against a tree to keep me from moving.
"Now!" Orochimaru hissed, his fangs heading toward my neck.
I frantically tried to move, but Orochimaru's grip was too strong. I tried desperately to kick him off of me, but he kept held my legs together with his own, tightly. His chest pressed painfully against mine as he leaned down toward my neck.
I couldn't move and I felt my arms bruising from his tight grip.
… And yes. If it wasn't for me panicking, I would've found this position incredibly disgusting and disturbing. What'd I say? Pe-do-phi-le! But in all seriousness. I can't take control. I have no power. I'm sorry.
Saying sorry isn't going to solve anything! I yelled back at my Inner.
I closed my eyes. There's nothing I can do.
Right when I felt his teeth graze the left side of my neck, his presence was suddenly gone.
In his place, I found Sakura, once again, rescuing me. She was leaning slightly on one leg, and her side, though void of Orochimaru's kunai, was still bleeding.
"I won't let you touch him!" She yelled, running toward Orochimaru. I followed close behind her.
"Quite the annoying one, aren't you, child?" He attacked Sakura again before she could land a single hit on him.
Before I could attack Orochimaru myself, however, a snake was released from his mouth to trap me tightly against a tree. It was large and thick, able to wrap around the thick tree trunk several times around the tree, ensuring that I had no mobility.
I looked over at Orochimaru, who was fighting Sakura. From all the time we spent fighting each other, he didn't look tired in the least. He was playing with us this whole time while we're at our limits. He looks like he hardly broke a sweat. So this is the power of a Sannin…
In contrast, Sakura and I were at our limits, already pushing past them.
I felt that if it wasn't for the adrenaline I received from (as I'll begrudgingly admit) fear and an intense fight, I would've passed out a long time ago. Sakura looked dead on her feet, swaying as she stood.
He picked up Sakura by the collar of her dress, and dropped her against a tree by the time I was finally able to slip a kunai into my hand and slice through the snake and set myself free.
I ran toward her immediately, but Orochimaru grabbed me by my neck and thrust me against another tree, this one directly in front of the one Sakura was left against. I struggled for air, trying to tear off his fingers from around my neck with my hands, but to no avail.
Once more, he released a snake, thinner and smaller but just as long as and strong the first, to trap me. This time, though, he pulled off both of my kunai and shuriken pouches and patted me down for any other weapons, ensuring that I was weaponless. And I wasn't wrapped against a tree this time, either. The snake wrapped around my body like a rope, and he pressed me against a tree by my neck.
His hand lowered to my collar, pulling it down as he leaned down to my neck.
Over his shoulder, I saw Sakura stand up and walk very slowly and painfully toward us. "N-no…" she croaked.
"You should feel honored." Orochimaru said to her. I shivered as I felt the vibrations of his voice against my neck. "I'm giving you a front-seat view."
His mouth widened, and I felt his fangs graze the juncture where my shoulder and neck met.
With all my struggling, I couldn't even loosen the hold the snake had on me. Instead, it tightened and it was soon only Orochimaru that kept me upright.
"Enjoy the show!" He bit into my neck.
Both Sakura and I screamed.
She screamed, "Noo!" I screamed in the incredible pain that immediately course through my body.
The pain was unbearable. I felt something from his fangs enter my body but couldn't give a thought as to what it was. All I could think of were the feelings of my body burning from the inside, melting and reforming again and exploding in pain in a seemingly eternally torturous cycle.
My bones, my flesh, my insides, my head… everything hurt on a level I'd never before felt, yet somehow felt familiar.
I felt most of the pain gather where Orochimaru bit me. The sensation resembled what I imagined being branded with a hot iron or poker did, but this branding came internally.
I screamed harder.
I vaguely felt the snake let me go and let myself fall from the ground, but all my senses were concentrating on the pain. Anything outside my body felt distant and in a whole different world, millions of miles away and insignificant.
The moment my arms were free, I used them to claw at the bite, trying anything to make the pain go away.
"… done here." I heard Orochimaru say. "… survives."
"… hate you." Sakura said. "I fucking hate you!"
"… -te me all you want… won't mean a thing… kill me… Sasuke-kun… one day… me... power." Orochimaru responded.
I tried to continue listening on their conversation as my voice grew hoarse from screaming because it distracted me from my pain; albeit only momentarily. But it was too difficult and only increased the headache I had that was steadily becoming a migraine.
Then, I heard a different voice. In my own head.
Sasuke! Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!, he taunted.
It sounded like my voice, but reminded me of Orochimaru's; it was dark, strong…. And the voice like pure evil.
An entity of evil, darkness, strength and power… invading my body. That's what it felt like.
I-Inner…
I don't know, Sasuke! I'll keep him suppressed for now, but I have no idea what he is!
A-alright…
Hahahaha! Sasuke!
That was the last thing I heard the voice say. At least, in a volume I could understand him at. I could hear it mumbling in the back of my mind… laughing and frightening me at how familiar he felt… how it felt like it was a part of me already. I don't want that thing to be a part of me!
After what felt like hours of convulsing in pain on the ground, but could have been only a few minutes, I felt warm hands sit me up and wrap around me. A head rested on my shoulder, and a shaky voice spoke into my ear.
"I-It's okay," the voice cried. "I-It'll all be b-b-better s-soon… p-please bear w-w-with m-me."
"Sakura…" rasped out, recognizing the sobbing voice. I circled my own arms around her torso and held her tightly, possibly further injuring her likely-cracked ribs, but I didn't stop. Holding her tight to me made me think the pain lessened slightly. Or at least, I thought it did.
And even if it didn't, just holding her made me feel a bit better. Helped me lower the volume of my screams and suppress the pain just a little bit more.
The evil presence that I had felt earlier, that I now think may be what Orochimaru injected into me, slowly began to fade further into the background the longer she held me.
For maybe half an hour we sat there – she crying and constantly saying, "I'm sorry," and me just trying desperately to hold my pain back.
Soon, the pain had almost completely faded, and I was nodding off in exhaustion at Sakura's chest, where she held me now, her hair soothingly stroking my hair.
"Sakura…" I started. "I-I can…"
"No." she whispered. She was no longer weeping aloud, but I felt tears continue to drip silently from her face. "Just rest. You need it."
I made a noise of disapproval. "You… need it… too…" No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make myself feel more awake. I just got sleepier and sleepier with the seconds that passed.
I tried to ignore the pull of unconsciousness, to resist it so I could assist Sakura back to where she had hidden Naruto before, wherever that was. I didn't want her to have to carry or drag me there as well. She looked just as drained as I imagined I did.
I felt her send chakra through her fingers in my hair and into my brain. The pull of sleep was stronger now. That Sakura…
"I'll be fine, Sasuke-kun." She whispered soothingly, rocking me similar to the way my mother did. I sighed in contentment.
"Now rest…"
No longer able to fight it, I fell asleep in her warm and calming touch. I'm sorry, Sakura.
Sakura POV
I grunted as I finally laid Sasuke beside Naruto in the hollow of the giant tree I had hidden them in the last Chunin Exams.
Even though I had collected Sasuke's ninja pouch, I didn't put them back on him. I knew he'd wake up-… unlike himself, and the last thing he needed was a weapon.
I took a look at the other things that was left by Orochimaru where we had fought.
FLASHBACK
"Take these." Orochimaru said, tossing something at my feet. "Oh, and this as well." He dropped the item beside the others.
He turned, making his exit.
"Why?" I asked. Venom laced my voice.
He turned slightly to look back at me. "I want Sasuke-kun to advance. To see how he copes with the curse. And to do that, he needs them."
He rose a hand in a goodbye as he disappeared between the tree. "I will not kill you yet, but only because there's something interesting about you. And you remind me of someone I once knew." I knew instantly who it was.
Tsunade-shishou, I thought.
"Wait!" he stopped. "What's the other thing?"
He turned toward me. "Just a gift for Sasuke-kun."
I glared even harder than I already was. He merely laughed.
"Don't worry, dear – I swear that there isn't any poison or anything like that. No curse, no chakra trap, no booby trap, nothing. Just one simple weapon inside. And even on the off chance he doesn't come to me, I want him to have it. I feel like it should be given to him now."
I was confused. Could what I think he's talking about be in there?
"I like to watch how things play out," he said, turning back to leave. "I think we'll be seeing more of each other soon, Sakura. Until then." And he was gone.
END OF FLASHBACK
I shivered as I remember the way he said my name, but knew he must have heard it from either Sasuke or Naruto.
I looked once again at the scrolls in my hand. Heaven and Earth… we just need to get to the tower and we pass. Then there's that other one.
It was a simple, dark green and black scroll. I think Sasuke-kun's chokutou, the Kusanagi, is in this. But I don't want to find out just yet… and who knows what'll happen if someone other than Sasuke-kun opens it? I better wait until Kakashi-sensei's around...
I sighed, and resisted the urge to fall asleep, deciding to close the wound in my side and other wounds the boys had. I don't have the chakra to heal them completely, and I need to conserve my energy for later. This is the most I could do.
Not long after I finished and was desperately fighting sleep, I heard three pairs of feet land on the ground outside of this tree.
I shakily stood up and exited the tree as I heard the voices bicker.
"… you sure this is where they are?" Kin yelled at Zaku.
"Don't ask me, ask Mr. Leader over there!" Zaku yelled back.
"Shut up and quit your bickering. He is here." Dosu said, his low voice rumbling strongly through the area.
They all turned as they saw me.
Zaku grinned and walked up to me, hiding the scowl that was brought to his face as he gave me a thorough once-over. Or two-over, really.
I glared. What? Did coming to the past change Zaku into some hormone-crazy, sex-crazy teenager? He's got to be around 15!(7)
Judging by the way Zaku ignored the blood over all my clothes and my bruises while winking on me, my assumption was right.
Creep!
I saw Kin glaring at me, a familiar emotion to me from my fangirl years blazing in her eyes. She's jealous… she likes Zaku?
What do you know? I wonder if Dosu got a personality change, too...
"Hey girl," he started. "You know anybody named Uchiha Sasuke?"
Just as he finished his sentence, Dosu had peeked into the hollow where the boys lay. "He's here!"
They tried to enter and take him away, but I wasn't about to sit there and watch this happen.
"Get away from there!" I made to punch Dosu away from the entrance, but he dodged.
Team Dosu scowled at me.
"Don't interfere, you little bitch!" Kin would've punched me, but a blur of yellow and purple tackled her away.
I looked over at it and saw that it was Ino who was fighting Kin.
Shikamaru came out from bushes with Chouji, taking on Dosu.
Soon, Lee came in, as well as Karin.
They came fast…
"Sorry I'm late," Karin huffed. "Really." She's referring to being too late to stop Orochimaru. She must be able to feel the chakra of the curse mark.
Part of me flared in anger, wanting to blame her for Sasuke getting the curse again, but I pushed it down. It wasn't her fault this happened, and she shouldn't be blamed for it.
I shook my head. "You're here now. That's what matters."
Lee knelt before me and kissed my hand quickly, before heading off to fight. "I promised I'd protect you Sakura-chan! Leave it to us!"
I didn't blush, but I smiled at his sweetness. Thank you, Lee.
But the smile quickly left me when I felt an arm grab my right and twist it behind me back, pulling me against their torso.
Their hand traveled down to feel my rear.
"Bit small, but a nice ass," Zaku breathed. I struggled violently from his grip, but I was already terribly exhausted and he was at full strength. He probably hasn't fought all day.
Then, he stuck a kunai in my thigh.
I slumped against him, unable to support myself properly as he squeezed my backside. "Firm, too."
I saw the others try to get to Zaku but they kept being pulled away by Dosu and Kin, who made extra clones just to keep them away from me.
My panic rose as I felt a dark chakra from the tree where Sasuke and Naruto were.
Karin's panicked eyes met mine, and I mouthed, "No."
No to two things; the first to trying to rescue me – she needs to get rid of Dosu and Kin first. And no to going to Sasuke – there's nothing she could do. And if he woke up to find her there, he may hurt her.
I felt Zaku's hand, the one that wasn't twisting my own, slithered around to my torso and up my stomach. Tears stung my eyes. Please don't!
"Stop!" I protested. I didn't want him to touch me.
I shouldn't have been this bothered – as an actually-16-year-old kunoichi, I should have been able to deal with this. I should have been able to use my body as a weapon. That was the sole, initial, purpose of kunoichi. To seduce.
But I wasn't.
I've never gone on a seduction mission before. I got training for it like every kunoichi at 15, but I had never actually gone on one. I couldn't say I was even good at the training, anyway.
It was a requirement for kunoichi to fill to become jounin (though not for men), and at 18 (depending on where you are, it's the same age for men, otherwise, it's 19 or 20) it was mandatory that you do a seduction mission regardless of your rank, so Temari was one of the few who had done it already.
Like nearly every kunoichi that has, she didn't like doing it, but did it more often than most because she was very good at it and for Suna. As a ninja, your country is your priority; anything else comes second.
Also, many kunoichi did not want to lose their first time to some stranger they're going to kill anyway, so they usually sleep with a close friend or significant other first. Ino was one of them – she had slept with Shikamaru before her first seduction mission, which caused some temporary tension between her, Shikamaru, and Temari, but it was all settled very quickly.
Ino had no romantic feelings, and Shikamaru and Temari were, as everybody -including them, I'm sure- was aware that they were in denial of their feelings for each other.
Hinata is still a virgin and hasn't gone on seduction mission – her father didn't want her to yet, and we all knew she wasn't ready for that sort of thing.
Tenten was actually about to go on her first right before the war started. (Obviously, she had her first time with Neji – the two had a bit of romantic tension.) She would have gotten her first the year before, but she got an unexpected injury instead.
I doubt Matsuri has gone on any, especially since she was only a genin, older than me or not. But she would have had to in a year, when she turned 18.(8)
I hadn't gone on any yet nor had I decided to have my first time with someone I cared about because:
1) I wasn't ready.
2) I spent most of my time doing anything related to medical ninjutsu or trying to get missions with Naruto to get Sasuke back.
3) I felt like sleeping with anyone else would be like cheating on my feelings for Sasuke, which was ridiculous, and the only person I could have trusted to sleep with would be Naruto and because we both knew I had no romantic feelings for him, it'd hurt both of us in the process. Him even more. I didn't want to do that to him.
And then the war happened.
So obviously, I was fearful and horrified as Zaku's hand reached to squeeze my left breast, and tears escaped me. I heard many of the others gasp.
Tears were freely coursing down my face now and only increased at my helplessness to do anything to stop him touching me. My body was already pushing overtime. Trying to escape from his hold now (and undoubtedly failing) would be far too much for my body.
There was nothing I could do to stop him.
"Small, and I don't feel any bandage binding either, so it's not like you're just making them seem that way. Oh, well." I felt him grin at the back of my neck as his hands switched from the front of my chest to my twisted arm and the hand that used to hold my arm now squeezed my other breast. "They're round and firm, too, though, so I guess that'll do."
I whimpered in protest, repeating the words I've been saying all this time that he had been ignoring. "S-stop!"
"You seem to be a screamer." He commented, ignoring me once more. His hands slowly, dramatically slid all over my body, spending extra time at my thighs.
"I like screamers," he said, whispering in my ear.
"It'll be fun to have you," He continued. "Where? Right here in front of all your friends?" He hissed.
I cried harder.
Someone… save me!
I looked to my friends, seeing them fighting a losing fight.
Ino must have fought someone earlier, because she looked to be near her limit now. Shikamaru and Chouji were, with difficulty, trying to defeat Dosu with Lee's help. Lee looked desperate to come over here, but he was getting creamed.
Kin was easily fighting off Karin, and Lee when he'd jump in to help her.
There was no way other of them would make it here.
I closed my eyes, unable to watch anymore.
I felt Zaku's hand rise to my thigh and my inner thigh, closer to where I knew he wanted to be, before leaving that area and moving back up to my collar.
He unzipped it slowly as he dragged me (because I didn't have the strength to walk) away from the clearing the others were in, to a more dense and darker area of the forest.
"But I'm not the exhibitionist type." He whispered, referring to his earlier (rhetorical, I assume) question. "I like a private show."
I was still sobbing, but harder and with my eyes open now that I couldn't see the others.
As the zipper slowly made its way down my chest, I felt Sasuke's dark chakra suddenly grow and move. He's awake.
I felt a burst of hope in me, but it was coupled with dread. What is Sasuke going to do? He was so angry last time to just see me beat up and my hair cut. But what about now?
I heard louder crashes and more sounds of fighting; I knew that Sasuke was behind it. Zaku heard as well, pausing in unzipping my dress.
When no one came to interrupt after a moment, he went back to my dress. He unzipped it, but didn't take it off.
Instead, he forced me to straighten against him, since he knew I couldn't stand.
He turned me around so I was facing his chest, and broke my right wrist to prevent me from doing anything to stop him. Not that I could in the first place.
I screamed from the sudden and intense pain.
As I did, he stared at the black band with a strap I wore as a bra with mess that covered my stomach and my green spandex shorts.(9)
"Don't even think about getting away now, Pinky." His face neared mine, tears streaking past my cheeks as the pain of my wrist resided to a terrible ache, but not enough to make me scream anymore. "Soon I'll see if you're pink down south, too."
He rose a hand to my chin, tipping it up towards his face. "Now how about a kiss, huh?"
Somebody please, stop him! If only I had the strength to take over... My Inner sobbed.
Neither of us wanted to lose our first kiss like this or get raped by Zaku.
As his lips neared mine and his hand groped my rear again, the panic I felt began to seep away, as did hope. I couldn't hope anymore. I felt numb.
No one is coming.
Before our lips could meet, Zaku suddenly screamed out in pain and pushed me towards the ground.
I landed painfully on the same arm of the wrist he had broken, but lifted my head up to see what had happened.
In front of us, I saw Sasuke, purple chakra swirling around him and the black marks of the curse quickly spreading all over his body.
He ran quickly to Zaku, faster than I had ever seen him in this timeline, (he must have flash-stepped...) and I watched as he pulled out the kunai he had thrown into Zaku's arm and pushed to Sound ninja against a tree harshly. He must have gotten the kunai from somebody at the clearing... it doesn't look like his. His are thinner.
"What were you doing to her?" Sasuke's voice was dark and powerful; it was his, but it was as if it had absorbed and become a part of evil. A shiver ran through my body. Sasuke-kun...
While watching their interaction, I dragged myself over to a nearby tree with my non-broken arm.
"What did it look like I was doing?" Zaku said haughtily. "'Bout to kiss her and fuck her, that's what. You her boyfriend or somethin'?"(10)
Zaku took Sasuke's lack of response as a no. "No, huh? Then back off and let me get finish, fucking son of a bitch. Hell, I couldn't even get started thanks to you."
He tried to take Sasuke's arm away from his chest, but instead, Sasuke's hand shot to his throat and lifted him up from the ground.
"You've just dug yourself your own grave." Sasuke said. "First, you referred to my mother in such a vulgar manner." My eyes widened. I had almost forgotten how much he loved his mother… and Zaku just insulted her.
As if Zaku wanted to dig his own hole even deeper, he insulted Sasuke again. "Mama's Boy, are you? Ha! Isn't that rich!"
Sasuke threw him to the ground on his back harshly, and I gasped and hastened to pull myself up to a standing position with the tree as support.
Sasuke threw the kunai he used earlier and one he stole from Zaku's pouch onto his shins, using his feet to push them in further. It was a morbid sight.
Zaku screamed. I have to hurry before he kills him!
Sasuke glared. "Second, you were stupid enough to admit that you were planning to touch and defile Sakura with your filth."
He stomped on Zaku's stomach harshly, ripping out the kunai in his shins, before quickly turning him over, and snapping his arms quickly and mercilessly, just like he did to one arm in the other time line.
"Third, you spoke as if she was just a toy for you to play with and 'fuck.'"
He turned Zaku over again and harshly stomped on his genitals, before giving them an axe kick with the other leg, crushing them. I winced and the Sound nin screamed louder. "Let's see how well you can fuck after this."
Sasuke's taking this too far. Even I feel an immense amount of pity for him!
I forced the last of the strength I had to make myself limp over to Sasuke. I tripped more than once, but still got back up as best I could. I have to stop Sasuke!
"And finally," Sasuke began, with Zaku still on his back, grinning sickeningly as he flopped like a doll as he kicked him around, unable to move his limbs.
"S-stop…" Zaku pleaded.
Sasuke shook his head. "Your final offense was even daring to think of raping Sakura; touching her; and attempting to kiss her. You dared to try and taint what was mine." His voice darkened when he said, "mine."
He rose his foot. "And for that, you deserve death. A painful, excruciating death."
He stomped down on Zaku's skull. I knew from where I was that he had just cracked his skull.
I hurried my limping.
Sasuke continued to hurt Zaku, kicking his head, picking him up and throwing him to the ground, breaking his forearms and elbow, throwing kunai and shuriken that he had stolen from Zaku onto his body, before ripping them out to throw him onto the ground again or flip him onto his back or stomach.
Then, he pulled out a sword I recognized as the Kusanagi and used it to slice him up further and stab him all over his body. So I was right about the chokutou…
I gasped. Shit! I forgot the scroll there!
Zaku was on the verge of death, but Sasuke wouldn't give him that mercy. He continued to play with him, torture him. It surprised me at how quickly someone could torture another; in the time it was taking me to just reach Sasuke. He was using his speed to his advantage.
It was sickening, and I could just barely hold down the bile that rose in my throat. Oh, Sasuke-kun…
I finally reached Sasuke, and used him to support myself as I wrapped my arms around his back, just like before.
"Stop, Sasuke-kun!" I cried, sobbing. "Stop it!"
Sasuke stepped back from Zaku. "No. He deserves to die, Sakura, for what he did and what he was going to do to you. Don't you want him dead, too? Want revenge? I'm killing him for your sake."
Part of me did, but the rest of me, the majority of me, did not want him dead.
Yes, I wanted him to suffer for what he did and was going to do to me - I was only human. But I was also slightly ashamed of that. It was a normal thing that a person would want in such a situation, but that still ashamed me.
So yes, as much as I wanted revenge, I think I had gotten it a long time ago, when Sasuke began destroying Zaku's body.
I didn't want Zaku to die. I was not that type of person. I do not do vengeance, and if I do, I never go far.
I've always had a small grasp of understanding to Sasuke's thirst for revenge, one that grew slowly then has increased since I had returned to the past. And even though I understand him more than before, I won't handle it the same way as Sasuke. I am not him. Just like Naruto had every reason to hate Konoha, he didn't and nor did he let his hate consume him. I won't let my hate and anger for Zaku consume me. That's what I'm trying to save Sasuke from.
"No!" I cried out. "I just want you to stop Sasuke-kun. Please. That's enough."
Instead of responding, he simply zipped my dress back up. I couldn't hold back a gasp in surprise at how gentle he was. Does that mean Sasuke has some control of himself? He's not hurting me either...
He tapped my chin upward softly, making me face him.
"He dared touch what was mine," Sasuke said softly, his voice sounding more like his own. "And he will pay with his life. Try to understand, Sakura. It's what he deserves."
I didn't understand why he called me "his" again, but I didn't dwell on it. I had to find a way to stop him, seeing how hugging him didn't affect his curse mark at all, unlike last time.
I shook my head, refusing, but Sasuke gently pushed me away before turning back to Zaku with his bloody sword in hand. I still used the back his shirt to hold myself up, though, and tried to pull him away from Zaku using it but it had no effect. I was too weak.
"Say your prayers," he said to Zaku. Come on! I have to think of something!
He rose the sword above his head, but before he could bring it down to Zaku's chest, to slice through his torso and heart to kill him, I used all the strength I could muster to get a hold of Sasuke's shoulders and pull him towards me, turning him so he faced me.
His eyes widened in surprise as I pressed my lips hard onto his.
This is not at all what I was planning to do, though. Actually, I couldn't think of anything to do. But I needed to distract Sasuke from Zaku, and my overactive brain forced me to act impulsively. And it worked.
Somehow.
But I'm not complaining. Not at all!
As I closed my eyes, I saw Sasuke let go of his weapon. It still dropped onto Zaku, but it landed and bounced off his damaged stomach, not piercing him. Zaku still made a noise of pain, however, because the sword bounced off one of the many gashes he Sasuke made on his stomach.
Sasuke's arms made their way around my waist, pulling me against him harshly and moving us a few steps away from Zaku as he kissed me back harshly, forcing his tongue into my mouth.
I blushed furiously, but reciprocated. I wrapped my arms around my neck and my non-broken hand made its way to his hair, and my broken one fell to my side. He groaned as I played with his hair.
Soon after, I felt Sasuke's curse mark quickly recede, and the harsh kiss turned softer… and more, um-… more innocent, and chaste. You know… tongues back into our own mouths and-… I'm gonna shut up now. Temari would calm me a "complete and utter virgin" if she heard that...
My brain's melting and making me think stupid things…
I sighed into the kiss.
After what felt like (a blissful) eternity, when our lungs were screaming for air, he pulled away, huffing for breath and looking down at me, surprised and slightly dazed like he was just beginning to realize what we had just done. He probably was, since his curse mark subsided and he found himself kissing me...
About time! Though I wish it was under better circumstances...
But Sasuke was also embarrassed, his face a fierce red. "S-Sakura…"
My face was red as well, and as I panted for breath, I tried to give Sasuke a reassuring smile, but it didn't work.
He frowned looked over to see Zaku, who had passed out sometime while we kissed. Sasuke's blush disappeared and his expression turned disgusted and confused.
"Sakura, what-" he cut himself off, silencing.
He just looked at Zaku for a moment, thinking.
But then, his eyes widened. He must have remembered.
"Sasuke-kun-" I started, but was interrupted.
"I-… I did that." He muttered lowly. Sasuke's bangs covered his eyes, and I couldn't red his expression.
But his curse mark wasn't acting up, so I was partially relieved.
"He was going to-… he was about to-…" He couldn't let himself finish.
I took Sasuke's face in my hands and turned him toward me. "But I'm fine now. You saved me."
He shook his head slightly, lifting his eyes so I could see them again.
"I should have been there earlier," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
Instead of responding, I tried to ignore the incessant pull of unconsciousness I felt now that Sasuke was calmed, Zaku was no longer a threat, and I no longer had a reason to exert energy that I didn't have.
Noticing I couldn't hold myself up by the way I leaned on him, Sasuke picked me bridal style. The curse mark's power must have lingered or gave him energy… he should be too tired to pick me up now.
But I welcomed the hold, keeping my arms wrapped around Sasuke-kun's neck.
As he walked me toward where I assume the clearing and the tree where Naruto slept was, (I couldn't really see where Zaku took me) I tapped Sasuke's cheek for attention.
"You didn't kill him," I started softly, finally replying to his earlier statement. "And now you're here with me, yourself again, and I'm safe. That's all I care about."
I placed a soft peck on Sasuke's lips while I still had the courage to do so before resting my head against where his right shoulder met his neck, relieved to see that this was the side void of the curse mark (though I knew that already) before falling asleep.
"Sasuke-kun…" I muttered, sleep lacing my voice.
As sleep finally took me, I heard Sasuke murmur my name softly.
"Sakura…"
(1): If you've seen FMA:B (this is only in Brotherhood), think of the way (SPOILER) Ling resided in his body when Greed was in control. Imagine how Ling would watch everything happen from the inside. Same concept.
(2): Though Sasuke came up with it after copying Lee's technique after their fight, and they didn't fight here, let's just say he came up with it with Naruto, okay?
(3): I would imagine Inner Sakura can take over for a longer amount of time, (she took over during her fight with Ino, right) but since Inner Sasuke is "younger", in a sense, he can only take over for a short amount of time. Inner Sakura and Inner Ino would be able to do it longer, because they've been around longer. Does that make sense?
(4): Chakra Scalpel. That's what she did.
(5): See #2.
(6): Didn't Oreo mess up Naruto's Elephant seal (is that what it's called? I want to say it is for whatever reason...) in the Forest? I have a memory of that... anyway, that's what happened here.
(7): He was 14 in canon, which would make him 15 here. Yeah...
(8): Matsuri's 17 in canon, believe it or not. Her birthday's unknown, though.
(9): : Go to Yukihana-chan013 on photobucket, her Play of Adolescence doujin (love that one), and go to page 40. That's what she actually wears on canon, I just can't find a canon pic (I don't remember when it was revealed, but the outfit's real) and this was the only pic I knew of. I would give you the link, but ffn's stupid about links.
(10): Sorry if you find it weird that Zaku's suddenly speaking more slang, but he is. He was pissed you know. He was just cock-blocked. Come on.
... Yeah... never wrote anything like that before, but I like that. I just need to delete that part from my Word document... my parents would kill me if they saw that.
QotW: I dunno... Romance suggestions? For the story? General story suggestions? Wishes?
Love,
Cherry.
ATTENTION:
Since Matsuri has no canon birthday, I was thinking of having one made up for her here, though not actually celebrated. I was thinking May 12 for whatever reason. But that would make her nearly a year and a half older than Gaara - by the time he turns 14, she'll be turning 16 in a couple months. Is that okay with you guys? I'll probably do it anyway, but I want your opinion. So May 12, or November 12? (Coincidentally the day after Jiraiya's b-day Sometime in November, if not May 12.
Read and Review!
