Author's Note: Thanks a lot for sharing your opinions, dear readers! This fanfic is nearing its end so I will try my best to not disappoint everyone! Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 19: Plans for the Future
Sasuke's POV
"Sasuke, I need to tell you something. But I want you to stay calm."
I had just finished filming for the day when Orochimaru approached me with a worrisome expression on his face. There was something about his nervous tone which triggered fear inside me. One look into his eyes and I knew something bad had happened.
"What is it?" I tried to sound as composed as I could, even though my heart was thumping hard due to anxiousness. With everything that had been happening around me, it couldn't be anything good.
"Please don't let it be about Sakura."
Orochimaru appeared to be hesitant at first but spoke after heaving a sigh.
"Sakura is hurt and is now in the hospital."
My eyes went wide upon hearing what Orochimaru said and my whole body felt like it was turning numb. My beating heart soon became the only thing I could hear and everything else seemed blurry to me.
"What happened?"
I almost couldn't recognize my own voice. It sounded shaky and was filled with angst. Orochimaru must have noticed the vulnerable state I was in and was trying to be more careful with his words. He had never exactly been the considerate type and for him to act that way, it only meant I was in a worse shape than I thought.
"The police are still investigating the case. Sakura was found unconscious under the staircase in a mall and judging from her injuries, she must have fallen from the stairs."
"I'm going to go see her now."
"Reporters are all over the hospital right now. They assumed that Sakura was harmed by a fan of yours and is waiting for a scoop to write about. If you go to the hospital now, you'll definitely be swarmed by them."
"I don't care." I emphasized each word to show how serious I was. "Sakura means too much for me to care about pesky reporters."
Orochimaru was still displeased with my decision but he could sense that I wasn't going to change my mind. He groaned in defeat before passing me the keys to the car.
Afterwards, each step I took felt heavier than the previous one.
Orochimaru wasn't joking when he said the hospital was full of reporters. Needless to say, they caught sight of me and were ruthlessly charging towards me, showing no respect towards my privacy.
It took much effort to shrug them off but I managed to misdirect them. I quickly located the ward Sakura was in and felt my heart clenching hard when I found it. My hand was trembling as I reached for the knob, which felt extremely cold under my touch. Blood was drained from my face as I turned the freezing metal on my hand.
For the first time in my life, I was scared to see the truth with my own eyes.
When I saw Sakura's unconscious self laying on the bed, I felt immense pain rushing throughout my body. It was as if someone was crushing my racing heart.
There was a bandage around Sakura's forehead and a visible bruise on her left cheek. The sight itself was enough to break my heart to pieces. I dragged my body towards Sakura, who was sleeping soundly with her mother sitting beside her.
Mebuki-san stood up from her seat when she noticed my presence. She was obviously worried sick as she walked towards me. Judging from her glassy and swollen eyes, she had definitely been crying.
"How is Sakura right now, Mebuki-san?" I didn't bother hiding the anxiety behind my voice. Seeing the panic state I was in made Mebuki-san tear up even more.
"The doctor said she is alright now and should be awake soon."
Relief rushed through me upon hearing the good news. I finally let go of the breath I was unconsciously holding onto. Mebuki-san took a step backwards, giving me way to walk over to Sakura.
I sat on the chair beside the bed and took one of Sakura's hands into mine. I kissed her hand softly and was slightly comforted by her warmth.
"Please be alright, Sakura."
Sakura's POV
"Where am I?"
My head was throbbing once I started regaining consciousness. I furrowed my eyebrows uncomfortably and writhed about in pain. But I was comforted by a gentle voice and something warm around my hand.
"Sakura."
I recognized that voice and a small smiled appeared on my face despite the pain on my head. I cracked an eye open and my smile grew wider when I saw Sasuke looking straight at me. I had never seen him looked so worried before and if it wasn't for the weak state I was in, I would have laughed at him.
"You look pathetic." My voice was so soft that I wasn't sure if Sasuke had heard me. But when I saw one of his infamous smirks, I knew he did.
"Speak for yourself, Sakura." His tender expression returned afterwards. "How are you feeling now?"
"I'm still alive despite a massive headache."
Sasuke smiled when he found out that I was still capable of joking. He removed my hand and stood up from his seat to let my mother have a better look at me.
I felt a pang of pain when I saw how worried my mother was. She was tearing up as she caressed my face, to make sure that I was indeed alright.
I rubbed her hand which was on my cheek and gave it a light squeeze, assuring her that I was indeed feeling fine.
Suddenly, the door opened and I heard footsteps from two separate people. I wasn't able to see who it was from where I was so I asked my mother to help me sit up. It felt like someone was pressing onto my head violently but I managed to lean against the headrest. It was then when I realized that I was in one of my family's hospitals. I knew it just from taking a better look at the ward I was in.
I turned towards the door and saw that it was my father and Ino who had just entered.
"Sakura, are you feeling alright now?!" Ino literally yelled into my ear after rushing to my side.
"I'm alright. But I won't be if you continue shouting in that high pitched voice of yours."
Tears were on the verge of falling from Ino's blue eyes as she gave me a huge bear hug. I had to remove her from me by force because she could actually end up crushing me.
My father seemed glad to see that I was already awake. He came over to me and patted my head lovingly. The smile from his face slowly turned into a frown when my mother spoke.
"Kizashi, what did the police say?"
My father and Ino exchanged worrisome glances with each other. It was then when I realized that the two of them must have been with the police while I was still unconscious.
My mother was getting impatient with my father's lack of response and urged him to speak up. After taking in a deep breath, my father finally told us what he had found out from the police.
"The police went through the CCTV recordings near the place Sakura was found. Fortunately, they were able to see the person who pushed Sakura." My father stopped abruptly and glanced over at Sasuke. He seemed conflicted and didn't seem willing to continue.
Ino saw how troubled my father was and decided to continue the explanation.
"After an investigation, the police managed to track down that girl who pushed Sakura. And a while ago, it was confirmed that she is one of Sasuke's diehard fans."
I would be lying if I said I didn't suspect it was one of Sasuke's mentally disturbed fans. I turned towards Sasuke and it hurts to see the look on his face.
His eyes were a mixture of anger, guilt and also sadness. He looked so sorry that my heart was hurting just from staring into his eyes. I wanted to comfort him, to embrace him and tell him that it wasn't his fault.
But when I moved a little, I ended up falling back in place due to my headache. My mother quickly grabbed onto my shoulders to keep my balance and asked me to stay put. I listened to her, not wanting to worry her more than I already did.
Sasuke looked at my parents apologetically as he spoke.
"I'm really sorry for allowing this to happen. I really am."
There was just something about Sasuke voice and the pained look on his face that effortlessly broke my heart. He had completely put down his usual confidence and was reflecting pure guilt.
"Sasuke, it will be unreasonable of Mebuki and me to blame you for this. However, we can't risk having our daughter getting hurt again."
Tears were blurring my vision and there was a lump on my throat, preventing me to speak. I gripped onto my father's arm, shaking my head vigorously, as a way to tell him not to tell Sasuke what I feared he would say.
My father bit his lower lip as he glanced over at me. He knew his words were going to hurt me but that fact didn't stop him from continuing.
"After what happened, I'm not sure if I can allow my daughter to be with you."
My heart skipped a beat and my breath was taken away in an instant. I stared at my father in disbelief, not being able to bring myself to face the truth.
"Please don't do this, father." I chocked on my own voice at first but became more agitated by the second. "This is my entire fault for taking things lightly. It's my fault for not being careful enough. Please don't do this."
I was sobbing as I begged my father to change his mind. But amidst his pained eyes, lies a clear determination.
At that moment, he wasn't planning to change his mind.
"I'm sorry."
That was all my father had said before a tensed silence fell among us. I continued sobbing and Ino embraced me to calm me down.
My eyes then wandered to Sasuke, who was showing more emotions than usual. He was definitely hurt by my father's decision but was understanding at the same time.
His next words brought even more tears running down my face.
"I'm sorry for what I did. But I will find a way to protect Sakura. I'm not going to give her up."
And with one last smile, he left.
Sasuke's POV
I couldn't blame Sakura's father for what he had said. After all, it was because of me his precious daughter got hurt.
"I must do something to fix this."
When I heard what Kizashi-san said, I caught a glimpse of how it would be like if I were to lose Sakura. The feeling was simple unbearable. And the sight of Sakura so heartbroken was just agonizing.
Once I successfully avoided the reporters and got into my car, I took my phone out and called my manager.
"What is it, Sasuke?"
"I need to do something to stop people from hurting Sakura again."
"I've been trying to think of a way for you to do that without offending your fans. Unfortunately, I have yet to come up with something. But remember, Sasuke, we can't risk having you angering your fans. I want you to think rationally."
"I know." Even though I was desperate, I knew better than to sacrifice my career. Knowing Sakura, she would be very angry if I ruined my career in order to protect her.
After discussing with Orochimaru for some time, an idea appeared in my mind.
"I think I have a plan that might work."
"What?"
"Arrange a press conference for me. It's time for me to clear things up once and for all."
"Wait for me, Sakura."
Sakura's POV
"I can't sit down and do nothing about this."
"What do you intend to do, Sakura?"
I convinced my parents that I was alright and that they should go back home to rest. They were exhausted and I needed some space to calm down after what happened earlier.
My father apologized for the things he had said to Sasuke but I told him I didn't blame him. I knew he did that because he loved me and I just couldn't stay mad at my own father.
Ino helped me persuaded my parents to go home by saying she would accompany me for the night. And when my parents finally left, I told Ino that I wanted to do something to help Sasuke fix the whole situation.
"I'm not sure. Can you go on the internet and see what are Sasuke's fans saying right now?"
Ino nodded and took out her phone to start browsing. Ino told me that the news of my accident had been spreading faster than she had expected. By then, it was already all over the cyber world.
Ino grimaced as she looked at her screen. I didn't like the look on her face but it was time for me to face the music.
"Some of the comments are rather nasty, Sakura."
"Just shoot me with them, Ino. I think by now I'm kind of numb from all those mean things they say."
Ino sighed before telling me what people had been saying about me.
"Well, a lot of Sasuke's fans said you deserved what happened to you." Ino snorted in disgust before continuing. "There are people saying that you're brain washing their 'Sasuke-sama' while others said you must have casted a spell on him."
"They still believe that I'm a witch?" I asked casually as if it was normal for them to think that way in the first place. Ino was confused at how calm I was but continued her little research anyway.
"Apparently, they still do. Also, some actually said you will be a distraction to Sasuke and cause the downfall of his career. These people are way too dramatic for my liking."
"And that's coming from Ino Yamanaka, who is known to be a drama queen."
"I know right." For once, Ino embraced her 'drama queen' title and I couldn't contain my laughter. Ino rolled her eyes, unable to believe how laid back I was with everything that was going on around me.
"Anyway, I'm rather mad to know that they think I would be an obstacle for Sasuke."
"You're only 'rather mad'? You should be furious!"
I waved nonchalantly at Ino, telling her to calm her nerves down. It made her run her hands through her long blonde hair in irritation.
"There's no point in boiling my blood over those petty things they said. It's better to stay composed and think of a way to counter this."
"You're so calm that it's kind of creeping me out." Ino faked a horrified expression as she scrolled through the article on her phone. "Anyway, some fans are saying that you're planning to keep Sasuke all for yourself. Seriously, what does that even mean?!"
"Well, from what I know, fans think that idols should be 'shared' equally among fans. And in their eyes, I had gone against that 'unwritten rule'."
"But you're not even a fan." Ino said matter-of-factly. "You don't love him as an idol; you love him as a person!"
"That makes sense. But that's not how Sasuke's fans see it." I shrugged my shoulders and reached out for a glass of water from the night stand.
"Why are these fans so brainless and irrational?" Ino growled while glaring at the wall at the far end as if it had offended her greatly.
"Love makes one blind." I giggled as I spoke, trying to release some of the tension consuming Ino.
"In this case, their love for 'Sasuke-sama' made them both blind and stupid." Ino crossed her arms in front of her chest and her frown was getting even more obvious.
"I need to do something to clear up these ridiculous things they have been saying about me." I mumbled more to myself as I began thinking of ideas to fix things. I wasn't going to run away and wait for someone to help me get out from the mess I was in.
"So, what are you planning to do?"
I gave myself a few more moments to wreck my brain before an idea popped up.
"I'm going to write a post on my blog and have it shared here and there in the internet."
Ino seemed fascinated with my idea but she quickly became confused.
"Since when do you have a blog, Sakura?"
"I never did. That's why I'm going to create one."
"What are you going to write on your post?"
"I'm going to write things that will stop Sasuke's fans from thinking that I'm a 'witch' who is going to destroy Sasuke's life."
Ino gave my idea some thoughts before breaking into a wide grin. She seemed pleased with it and nodded in agreement.
"That sounds brilliant and might actually work. After all, we all know that the internet is the best platform to spread things like this. Better get this done as soon as possible. If you let these nonsensical rumors to spread for long, you'll be the one who ends up destroyed."
"That's right. I won't sit here without doing anything and let Sasuke do all the work."
Ino stood up from her seat and was beaming excitedly, "What you need now is a laptop. Tenten and Hinata said they want to stay here with you tonight as well. I'm going to go fetch them and I'll bring along one of their laptops when I'm coming back here."
I thanked Ino as she literally skipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Just then, I was startled by a sudden knock on the window beside my bed. I was honestly frightened at first, not knowing what or who was out there. I slowly got out of my bed and was relieved that my head felt much better already.
But when I saw who it was, all fears were forgotten and I ran to open the window.
It was Sasuke.
"What are you doing here?" I asked once there wasn't any glass separating us. Without any warning, Sasuke pulled me into an embrace. Despite being slightly surprised, it didn't take long before I completely absorbed myself in Sasuke's warmth.
"I want to see you. But the reporters are getting more difficult to chase off so I decided to meet you through the window instead."
I giggled at Sasuke's explanation while tightening my grip on his clothes.
"Fortunately for you, Sasuke, my ward is on the first floor. What will you do if I am staying in the tenth floor?"
"I'll climb the walls."
"Do you think you're Spiderman or something?" I laughed heartedly while pulling away from Sasuke's chest. I came face to face with his handsome smirk, which almost looked like it was illuminating due to the moonlight shining on his face.
"I'm not some superhero but I'm Sasuke Uchiha. And that's about the same."
"You're so unbelievably arrogant and I still don't understand how that is possible."
Sasuke chuckled as he placed a hand on my head and touched our foreheads together. We stayed there for a while before closing the gap for a loving kiss.
It was tender and sweet and I couldn't seem to get enough of it. I pouted playfully when Sasuke pulled back and was rewarded with a quick kiss on my nose.
It felt ticklish but I loved the feeling nevertheless.
Sasuke then wrapped his arms around my neck and stared straight into my eyes.
I could feel intense emotions from Sasuke's gaze. It just made me refuse to let him go.
"I'm sorry, Sakura."
"You don't have to be sorry at all, Sasuke. None of this is your fault."
"I'm going to stop all of this. I'm not going to let you get hurt again."
"But I'm not going to let you carry the entire burden, Sasuke."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke released his arms from my neck and placed his hands on my shoulder, giving him a better look at me.
"You'll see. It's a surprise so I'm not telling you." Knowing Sasuke, he would definitely end up getting worried unnecessarily if I told him what I was intending to do. After all, I was sure he would rather do things on his own and keep me out of it. That was just the way he was.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me and I replied with a childish grin. Seeing how insistent I was to keep my plan a secret, Sasuke gave up trying to make me speak up.
"Alright then, but I don't want you to do anything that will harm you."
"I won't, Sasuke."
"I have a plan up on my sleeve as well."
"What are you doing to do?"
"Not telling you."
I rolled my eyes at Sasuke for his little 'revenge' because I decided to keep my own plan a secret. Sasuke chuckled and calmed me down by giving me a peck on my bruised cheek. It was so gentle, almost as if he was trying to heal my wound.
I felt so much love I thought I could burst from the happiness swelling inside me.
"You'll see tomorrow. Anyway, I should get going now. Rest well, Sakura."
"Goodbye, Sasuke. I love you."
"I love you too."
And with one last kiss, we parted ways.
"Everything's going to be alright soon."
Author's Note: As usual, please leave a review on your way out! Your opinions are highly valuable for me. And reviews make me really happy (insert overexcited grin). Of course, follows and favorites are appreciated as well! Thank you for reading and hope to see you in the next chapter.
