Like Water, Like Love
Chapter 7: Signs
Summary: nejixten, sasuxsaku She pushed him away, he drew her in. She wanted an embrace, he wanted to embrace her. She loved someone childishly, he loved her passionately. Their relationship was like water, like love.
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Finally realized that the love is gone
But you're always too late to notice
At last you cry and beg for me to stay
But no matter how much I rewind
The emotion's already gone
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Sasuke
I saw it.
I saw it all.
The expression on her face as the knife rushed towards her was a mix of fear and surprise. I stepped in front of her like my instincts told me to, protecting her from the lethal weapon. It pierced through my skin, but the pain was a numbing pulse, for I could only hear Sakura screaming above me.
"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun!" she yelled hoarsely between her torrents of tears.
I lowered myself to the ground, blood running from the abdominal wound.
So this was what it felt like to die.
I felt her arms encircle my neck and bring my head onto her lap. In the distance, I heard Naruto and Kakashi struggling with Sound shinobi.
We were tricked. How foolish we were, rushing in on a fully guarded base at the crack of dawn. It obviously did not house Akatsuki, for all the guards were Sound shinobi, none adorned with the symbols of Akatsuki, but I insisted on rushing in anyway, dragging my teammates in with me.
Her tears dripped onto my face as she continued to cradle my head.
Sakura… move…
My throat was dry.
The enemy…
I cringed at the whistling of another knife piercing through the air, the whisper that I dreaded so horribly.
"Ah…" she murmured in shock as the blade sunk into her back.
"Sakura…" I choked, flailing my fingers feebly, trying to find her hand.
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.
Her emerald orbs slowly hazed over from the unspeakable pain, and all of a sudden, her hands slid from my chin onto the ground.
"Ah…"
In slow motion, her form went limp, the soul evacuated from the body. She fell to the side, forcing my clouded head to slip from her warm lap. The haze was overcoming me, but I reached out to her, believing my touch would revive her. I managed to contact her arm, but it was cold. My fingers trembled over her still form, not willing to believe my own sense of touch.
As my staggering breath escaped my body, I heard the rustling of leaves and the presence of a shinobi over us. He kicked her over, examining her for signs of life. With no outer appearance of living, she seemed safe, but the black suited man knelt down and took her pulse.
A smirk spread across his face, and he lifted her roughly from the ground. As he stood, I saw his slanted, cold glare at me.
I tried to stand and will my legs to move somehow, but it felt like they were a tangled mess of string.
Damn. Uchihas aren't this weak.
Gritting my teeth, I fought back the pain, but my legs still ceased to agree with me.
The knife must be poisoned.
The cold numbness was spreading towards my arms, towards my chest, towards my toes. Everything became a peaceful dimness and the sound waves stopped in midair. The black-clothed shinobi's freezing gaze was still upon me, but he didn't make a move.
Maybe he knew I was dying.
The world sank into a cold darkness.
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I rubbed my forehead vigorously, trying to rid my mind of a hangover-like state. The headache subsided momentarily, allowing me to open my eyes to the welcoming sight of the cloudless blue sky above me.
I sat up unsteadily, looking around at my surroundings.
A couple of dead shinobi, a lot of blood, and no one alive in sight.
Wearily, I stood up, adjusting my eyes to the brightness of the noon sun.
Where were Naruto and Kakashi?
The bleeding in my wounds had lessened considerably, only dribbling when I walked. Sighing, I examined the trees and grass in the clearing, looking for signs of an escape. Surprisingly, it didn't take me long to find the scrape of a sharp kunai on a tree.
Not expecting much, but eagerly anticipating more, I took five steps forward to the next tree, and steadily felt for scratches.
Another one.
I froze before taking steps to the next one. Was this just a trap?
I reasoned for a while before dismissing my doubts, convincing myself that it was a sign left by Naruto, Kakashi, or Sakura. Increasing my pace, I leapt onwards, turning on my Sharingan to sharpen my eyesight.
The tracks didn't lead far; it took me only about an hour to reach the end of the signs.
Placing one hand on a tree to steady myself, and holding my now open wound with my other, I looked down over the grassy hill before me.
A village.
What was I expecting? A secret base?
I walked unsteadily down the hill, leaving a thickening trail of blood behind me.
Approaching the neat rows of houses, it didn't take me long to realize where I was.
Women with heavily masked faces and elaborate kimonos. Men staring hopelessly after them.
A geisha district.
These things still exist?
People stared at me in partial curiosity and fear. They parted slightly to avoid me, especially the ones in the expensive kimonos.
Where were the signs supposed to lead me anyway?
Fortunately, the district was small, so I wouldn't have to search too long for the identity of whoever had struck all those trees with a kunai.
Through my hazy mind, which was still hindered by the lingering effects of the poison, I began to realize that the laughing and chaos of the streets was beginning to dwindle. The smell of intoxicating perfume was lingering behind, and the clinking of many geta quieted. Looking up for the first time, I reviewed my new surroundings.
I didn't know these still existed either.
A prostitution district.
The street was littered with empty alcohol bottles, stray animals sniffing at every potential for food. Only five or so men wandered the streets, clearly drunk. The stench of trash clogged my airway as I looked about myself in disdain.
No one would lead me here…
"Sasuke-kun?"
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Notes: Ahahaha. I didn't abandon FFnet. I just got busy with summer and all XD;;
Anyway, hope this chapter is decent. I don't like it much. For all those NejiTen fans reading this fic, sorry but SasuSaku might go on for another one or two chapters. xx;; Gomen nasai
I thought the ending of this chapter is a little too obvious for a big big cliffhanger, but… yes. And yes, I know this chapter is short. AND… my descriptions of the geisha and prostitution districts are probably very inaccurate. Sorry again.
No updates for all of July. Sorry sorry sorry.
Have a nice summer everyone:D