Take My Hand But Leave My Heart

Chapter 3

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Sakura stormed out of the building and found herself at a loss. When she was upset like this, the best medicine was usually Naruto. His unwavering cheerfulness, his open and inviting self. She never had to wonder if he was genuinely interested in her problems or just humoring her. His artless love for his friends was so all encompassing that their smallest grievances were his.

But she knew how the conversation would play out. Naruto would defend Sasuke. He'd tell her that he must have a reason. He would coax her into softening her heart, giving him the benefit of the doubt. In essence, he'd side with Sasuke. That's not how Naruto would see it, but that's how it would feel.

It was the last thing she wanted right now.

For a second –and really, the thought exercise was just for her own amusement –she imagined how Sai would react to her presenting him with this problem. It briefly lightened her mood.

So deep in thought was she, that Sakura didn't see the solution until it had already thrown an arm around her shoulders in friendly greeting.

Karin and Sakura had become fast friends after she'd saved her life. In doing so, she'd earned the taciturn missing nin's eternal loyalty and unwavering support. In her own way, Karin loved Sakura as much as she loved anyone.

And she could always be counted on to commiserate and rage.

Karin took one look at Sakura- furrowed brow, red rimmed eyes and lips so pale as to be practically non existent-and decided that what she really needed at this very moment was to get a drink.

Twenty minutes later they sat in a scarcely populated bar, with six shot glasses between them and Sakura halfway through a summary of her situation.

"I will fucking kill him. You just say the word."

Sakura smiled and squeezed Karin's hand. "Maybe I could poison him."

The sudden zap she felt at the thought seemed to indicate otherwise.

"Is there anyway to break it?"

Sakura bit her lip. "...I didn't stay to find out."

"Temper temper," Karin chortled, sounding proud rather than chastigating. "Why'd he do it?"

She rolled her eyes. Who cares? The truth was, she did. Sasuke never did anything 'just because'. Deep down, she was sure there was some high and mighty reason. She knew he wasn't cruel. He was her friend, but more importantly, her teammate. He would always watch her back. But for now, she didn't need to sympathize with the enemy. She needed to be angry.

And knock back a shot or two.

As she did, a sharp zap of disapproval shot through her. She shrieked her frustration heavenward. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?!" and then, just to show he couldn't control her, she tossed back another. "OW."

Then another. "FU-!"

"Sakura," Karin chortled, "what the hell are you doing?"

"Showing that fucking imbecile that I can do what I want!" She stole one of Karin's shots and knocked it back for good measure.

The bartender set another tray of shots in front of them. Sakura, throat hoarse from burning exclaimed (too loudly) that they hadn't ordered more. The bartender smiled and nodded his head towards a pair of men in the corner booth. They were handsome. One raised a glass and winked at her. Sakura blushed.

She felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest and her face crumpled.

When Karin asked her what was the matter, she lied and told her it was another zap from the bracelet. But the truth was much more complicated than that.

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She kept expecting to cry. Karin probably expected that too, with the way she kept throwing her sidelong glances. But she wasn't out of anger yet.

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Three beers deeper, Sakura was sobbing her eyes out loudly and publicly.

"I just- I thought we were friends, you know?" Karin kindly handed her a cocktail napkin to blow her nose in. "I thought- we were definitely- we were heading towards something. I'm not crazy, I know he doesn't lo-love me but-" hiccup "we're friends." She spat the word, embedded with all the layered meaning she could manage.

Karin patted her shoulder, "If he doesn't, he's crazy. And as your friend, I have to tell you: you can do so much better."

"Not anymore!"

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Sasuke winced every time Sakura took a shot. It caused him no physical pain, but to know he had no way of stopping the retaliatory shocks was akin to torture. He'd wager it hurt him more than it hurt her.

To the casual observer, it looked like Sasuke was having a fit.

To an oblivious companion, it was mistaken for constipation.

"Listen man, you gotta check the bread for mould."

"Cease and desist."

"Fine, be that way. Your treat then."

"Sakura says the new book is good, you can afford it."

"I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about," Naruto delivered the line as the very picture of angelic innocence. "What book?"

Sasuke wrinkled his nose at having to voice the title. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"I cannot recall."

"Icha Icha ringing any bells?"

"None."

"...Did you consult a lawyer before this conversation? What is happening?"

"Sasuke," Naruto's uncharacteristically stern face drew them back to the matter at hand. "You couldn't have led with your reasons?"

Sasuke took a bite out of a soft boiled egg and refused to answer.

"If you'd just explained she would have understood."

"What difference would it have made?"

"She'd know it wasn't your fault."

"Of course it's my fault."

"What else could you have done?"

"..."

"You were trying to protect her."

Sasuke pushed his bowl away, no longer hungry. "She gets to be angry about this. It's a horrible situation. If she couldn't be mad at me, what would that leave her with?"

"That's twisted."

"That's kindness."

"What the fuck, no-"

"If I had told her, she'd have run off. This whole business is a waiting game. First piece of information I get, I'm heading out."

Naruto clapped him on his back."You'll fix this. I know you will." Laying enough change on the counter, he stood up and wiped his hands. "I'm gonna go. I've got a date. If I know Sakura, she's getting plastered right now." Sasuke's grim expression confirmed it. "It's probably the closest she'll get to reasonable for a while. You should talk to her."

As Naruto departed and Sasuke mulled over his words, he was struck by a thought. "You're having another dinner?!"

Naruto waved over his shoulder, "Not that kind of date," he shouted, prompting Sasuke's brows to rise.

Another zap shook him from unwelcome thoughts of Naruto's sex life.

To be frank, he didn't love Sakura's drinking habits. He didn't love her eating or sleeping habits either. He hoped this didn't mean she'd get shocked if she tried to order takeout. The disapproval stemmed from his honestly very sincere and legitimate worries over her health. Sakura had a tendency to overwork herself. She hardly ever ate anything green unless he made her.

He'd taken to making bentos for Team 7 training sessions for this exact reason.

How his teammates had survived without him, he'll never know.

And it wasnt that he disapproved of drinking in general. He imbibed occasionally. He understood the need to unwind, especially for people as stressed at Sakura and Kakashi. But Sakura had inherited many things from her master and he worried that Tsunade's drinking problem would be among them. And she got so emotional when she drank. He didn't know how to deal with that. Especially when she kept touching him, as she was wont to do only when she was plotzed.

A frown pulled at the corners of his lips.

He threw money down on the counter and talked himself in and out of finding her.

Eventually, his worse nature won out and he followed the invisible thread that tethered them together now.

He found her ten blocks from her apartment, half her weight supported by Karin.

Shockingly, his former teammate didn't seem surprised or perturbed to see him. She practically tossed his other former teammate into his arms. "Help me out, would ya?"

He took over the burden, holding her up with his good arm.

"I'm too drunk to try and kill you, but res'assured I'll try if you touch her," Karin shoved a finger up his nose in a strange attempt to intimidate him.

Sasuke wanted to die.

"You couldn't even if you wanted to and I am touching her. You handed her to me."

"Shut up."

With a heaving sigh Sasuke hitched Sakura onto his back and began the tedious process of herding Karin to the bridge she lived under.

Once there was a door safely between Sasuke and a manslaughter charge, his throbbing headache began to ebb.

Sakura was a pleasant weight on his back. Occasionally, she would rouse and murmur in his ear, funny things like death threats and her hopes for the fictional couple in Icha Icha Trials.

The cool night air and empty streets offered him a welcome liminal space between himself and the morning.

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a/n: Hope I've been able to take you all somewhere unexpected so far. Thanks for reading!