Lock Heart
By Narutard45
As it turned out, Sasuke didn't get much sleep last night as he accurately predicted, even though it didn't really matter much since he was an early riser anyway. But last nights occurrences stuck to him like an annoying fan-girl, especially the part where the Hokage announced that there might be something defective happening in Sakura's mind, which in turn, didn't help the Uchiha's nerves one bit. It felt like he was responsible for it.
So the last survivor of the Uchiha clan lay under the dim light of his lamp stand, silently contemplated on…well everything. Ever since his visit to the hospital, which happened to be five hours ago, Sasuke had absolutely no impulse to do anything but lay on his bed like a lump.
Sleeping? Pft.
There was no use of even trying such an act when his mind, as well as his conscience, forbid him to rest. He only tossed and turned, and eventually, ended up where he was before.
Damn.
And then his mind just had to make things more frustrating, enveloping Sasuke with an image of her, right before she was hit with the jutsu.
"…Sasuke-kun"
Why in the world did she act on impulses alone anyway? While he just stood there as if he was the weak and needy little boy he was years ago. Sakura. She had been a nuisance to his conscious ever since his return. No she didn't great him with her usual showers of "Sasuke-kun will you go out with me?" or " Sasuke-kun let's go on a date, please?"
She didn't even bother visiting him on the first day of his return while he lay in the hospital bed, nor the next day, or the one after that. It intrigued him slightly to find no sign of the kunoichi in their former team at his bedside, possibly holding out slices of apples like she used to do.
But no, the only ones who had visited him were the dobe and Kakashi.
He sighed sharply.
She had changed. . He couldn't quite explain it himself, and Sasuke guessed that this new transformation had indeed changed a big part of her when she finally decided to visit him.
Sasuke recalled that day three weeks ago. Sakura had quietly tiptoed in his room, bearing a single flower to put beside the window, and after she had done so, the kunoichi just stood there with her hands strapped to her sides.
He himself had been currently on a sitting position, refusing to look her in the eye. But despite the fact that he couldn't see her expression, he could feel it. The cryptic aura seemed to seep out of her and fill the whole room with silence. It was as if she was reluctant to get near him, fearing something that could possibly hurt her in that room.
Or maybe it was he that Sakura had been afraid of.
But as soon as her disturbed presence had shown, it disappeared just as quickly, leaving Sasuke with a mere," Welcome back Sasuke-kun," as she walked out of the door.
Of course he expected her to change within the course of five years, but oddly enough Sasuke found it really annoying that he even cared. Years ago he would have had to board his door with wood just so the very girl that irritated him so would go away. She was just 12 -year old Sakura following his every move, and groveling at his feet like the lovesick ninja she was.
Ever since then, she had been distant, but equally happy and full of life whenever he happened to see her. And during the announcement of the reuniting of team 7, she still beamed with joy… but for some reason, it felt unsettling to him.
But as always, the Uchiha never really cared for something as insignificant as that.
Well, until now of course.
And now Sakura lay in the hospital possibly suffering from brain damage due to his carelessness. Just great.
Sasuke was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice how he glared at the ceiling with intensity, or how his finger's grasped themselves tightly around each other behind his head of spikes.
So deciding that sitting on his behind and getting worked up over nothing wasn't what he planned for the night, Sasuke lifted himself of the mattress and got dressed.
Maybe training at three in the morning would get his mind off things… for the moment at least.
Naruto hummed happily as he quietly tiptoed back to Sakura's hospital room. Why you ask? Naruto sniffed contentedly at a fresh bowl of miso Ramen he held between his palms. God knows how long the fox boy had been enduring his hunger ever since he got back from the mission, and all the commotion with Sakura didn't give him a chance to have a quick meal.
Naruto's anxious orbs panicked for a second as he abruptly tripped over a loose tile. Oh, my God that was close! He would be damned if his precious meal splattered over the white tiles when he spent the last of his money from his frog purse.
Sighing with relief, the fox boy finally reached Sakura's room and entered with the utmost cautiousness you wouldn't expect from Naruto. He quietly slipped over Sakura's bedside and placed the steaming bowl of ramen on the table, but not before taking a quick glance at his sleeping teammate.
" I hope you don't mind me eating a little snack Sakura-chan," Naruto murmured beside Sakura, just in case she heard. He had heard somewhere that if you talk to an unconscious person, there might be a chance that they're listening; and that was what Naruto was hoping for.
He hovered above the sleeping kunoichi and pulled open the curtains allowing the sunlight to fill the dreary room. Naruto wasn't one to like cold, dark and depressing places… no he was definitely not scared of the dark.
" I hope you wake up soon Sakura-chan," he whispered in her ear as he sat down in his chair getting ready to swallow the bowl when he saw movement from the corner of his eyes. Naruto's eye's widened; his chopsticks abruptly dropping to the floor.
Yes, Sakura had heard.
Sasuke squinted through the blinding ray of light directed at his sensitive eyes. He directed his attention back to the tree trunk he'd been currently training with, aiming a group of kunai's to the target. A thin blanket of sweat glowed on the Uchiha's forehead, as he threw countless kunai's on the tree trunks while running when suddenly….
" What do you want?" The Uchiha called out. A soft rustle near his left was heard and finally, an anbu officer dressed in a black cloak and a mask in the shape of a boar revealed himself.
" Perceptive as always," The shinobi commented attempting to make conversation with Sasuke, but the boy merely glared at the anbu officer. His stony silence voiced out his annoyance.
" The hokage says that it's urgent that you come with me to the hospital," The anbu officer paused as if waiting for the right timing, " it concerns your teammate… Sakura"
Naruto slowly paced back and forth outside Sakura's room, small patches of sunlight trying to slip through the blinds of the windows. As soon as he saw Sakura move from underneath her covers, Naruto immediately alerted the nurses and told them to bring Tsunade with them too.
The fox boy sighed and sat on the benches, hoping that Sasuke and Kakashi would get here soon. As if on queue, two puffs of smoke appeared before Naruto revealing his former mentor Kakashi, and none other than the stubborn ass (in Naruto's opinion) Sasuke.
" What happened Naruto?" Kakashi questioned as they stood in front of Sakura's door.
The blonde spoke quietly and uncertainly, " I…I'm not sure but I think Sakura-chan's…waking up."
" How can you not be sure?" Sasuke added in, his patience wearing thin. He had thought that this was some sort of important emergency that concerned Sakura being in a critical state. So Sasuke, for once, willingly went to the hospital to see what the blonde wanted him for… and frankly this news of Sakura waking up didn't strike his interest. ' This is a waste of time' Sasuke concluded and was about to wake away when the door slowly opened.
Tsunade stepped out and spoke to them quietly. " Come in all of you,"
" Sakura-chan…!" Naruto whispered loudly and quickly followed the hokage with Kakashi eagerly on his heel. Sasuke was left standing there alone, torn between the part of him that didn't want to see the state Sakura was in because of his carelessness, and the other half of him that reminded Sasuke of Sakura's thoughtless actions that were…
…For him.
Without a word, the Uchiha quietly walked inside the room and closed the door behind him.
What he first saw was Tsunade, and Naruto quietly standing around Sakura's mattress, while Kakashi stood farther than the two, a crinkled eye watching the figure on the bed. Sasuke took notice of their quiet and anticipating expression, all focused on Sakura. The Uchiha slightly narrowed his eyes and questioned himself. What's the big deal? Why had Naruto been reduced to a quiet normal person for once instead of his loud-mouthed self? Even Kakashi was seen for once not reading his perverted book he loved so much.
It was just Sakura coming to consciousness…what was so special? Of course there was the mystery of what the jutsu had done to her… but he found no reason to stare right up her nose and wait for her to open her eyes.
Suddenly pale fingers moved slightly, creasing the sheets beneath it. Sasuke quietly and slowly crept up towards Sakura's bed, his intense coal eyes examining her face as if it were alien to him. Sasuke's mind barely registered his body's automatic movement toward the front of the bed while Sakura's head slowly moved from side to side.
" She's waking up…" Naruto murmured. This small remark shook Sasuke out of his sudden curiosity trance, and he found himself face to face the sleeping kunoichi. The room was as quiet and still as a grave and the only sound heard was Sakura's content breathing.
He noticed how calm Sakura's face was, her heavy eyelids covering vibrant forest green eyes, her lips had lost the usual shine they held, and her color had become somewhat pale. His gaze intensified and narrowed even more when he saw cut marks on her neck and a light purple bruise on one of her arms and hands.
The Uchiha averted his eyes elsewhere, disgusted by what he saw . The last bastard on his list.
"Nnng…" Sakura moaned unconsciously her small-bandaged fists clutching the sheets.
" Sakura… can you hear me?" Tsunade whispered beside Sakura, her Hazel eyes studying her student intently.
With a low mumble Sakura stirred even more and she became suddenly still. Then slowly and surely as a small child would, Sakura's lids opened midway and finally exposed her full green eyes. Not a sound was heard throughout the sunlit room as Sakura slowly blinked her sleepy green eyes and rubbed them, as if unaware of the people surrounding her. She placed her elbows on the soft mattress for support wincing slightly from the pain as she finally sat up.
"Sa…Sakura-chan?" Naruto murmured quietly kneeling beside the kunoichi. Sakura turned her head towards the call and locked her eyes with those of deep ocean blue. Her tired yet curious eyes landed on those of Kakashi's as he stared right back at her with a look of uncertainty. Sakura then turned her head to the right to find worried yet sturdy hazel eyes looking back at her.
" Sakura… are you alright?" Tsunade whispered to the dazed woman. Sakura kept silent, her half lidded eyes turning away from her teacher and finally landing onto those of bottomless ebony eyes. Sasuke found himself somewhat drawn to Sakura's bizarre stare, all traces of her old shyness and reserved personality gone. These innocent eyes he was staring back at were no longer readable… no longer full of emotion.
They were completely blank.
For a moment, no one spoke and Naruto and the others only looked back from Sasuke's indifferent face and calculating eyes, to Sakura's drowzy form.
Finally Sakura spoke, but kept her eyes locked with Sasuke's, " Where… where am I?" The kunoichi looked down on her sheets and scrunched up her eyebrows slightly, " and… who are all of you?"
Everyone stood frozen to their spots neither one believing what Sakura had spoken. Kakashi's one eye widened, while Naruto and Tsunade's mouth opened slightly. A flash of astonishment went through the Uchiha's face, but was quickly replaced with a cold expression of uncertainty.
Sakura's words seemed to replay itself over and over again in Sasuke's mind, and each time it did, he tried to find the meaning in between her words.
"Sa…Sakura?" Naruto questioned in disbelief, completely forgetting the suffix that used to roll of his mouth so easily.
" You don't remember us?" Kakashi added, leaning closer to look at Sakura carefully.
The pink haired girl merely looked back at Kakashi with unfamiliarity and shook her head.
" No… was… was I suppose to?" she replied with a small tilt of her head.
Tsunade closed her eyes forcefully, willing her initial shock to leave when she finally opened them again. " Do you remember anything at all?"
" Sakura… that's all I remember." She spoke, her sleepy eyes sweeping over her sheets, " That's my name isn't it?"
" You remember?" Kakashi asked, his lips pursing although it went unseen inside his mask.
Sakura smiled wearily, " No, but that's what all of you have called me, so that must be my name." ' Smart as always' everyone thought in unison.
Suddenly Naruto stood up, and towered over the kunoichi; a thin line across his lips. Suprisingly enough, he quickly grinned at Sakura. " I'm sorry Sakura-chan… but I have somewhere else to be right now. Get some rest k'ay?"
Naruto briskly walked toward the door, and looked over his shoulder.
" As soon as you get better I'll introduce you to everyone in town! You better believe it!" the blonde spoke, closing the door behind him with a small click.
Tsunade looked back to where Naruto had left, fully understanding the fox boy's reaction. " Sure," Sakura responded, a loose smile on her face.
The hokage looked back at Sakura and put a palm over her head. " Naruto's right Sakura, you should get some more rest and will talk about this a little later." Tsunade tucked Sakura back in her sheets while Kakashi kneeled in front of the kunoichi and smiled. " We'll come by to visit sometime okay?" Sakura nodded and closed her eyes, the sleepiness consuming her body.
Tsunade ushered the Jounin toward the door and noticed that Sasuke had abruptly disappeared. The hokage glanced toward Kakashi a questioning look on her face, as the gray-haired man shook his head.
Tsunade looked toward the window, spotting the orange clad boy walking briskly toward the forest. The hokage averted her eyes understanding what Sakura's closest teammates are feeling right now. Even she could not believe that Sakura's loss of memory was the price for that damned jutsu. Still, it intrigued her slightly to see what team 7's Uchiha Sasuke thought about losing something he thought was insignificant to begin with.
A/N: I'm back from my wonderful vacation readers! I forgot to mention to the people reading this fic that I was away from December to January in Ph-es (guess) and I have to say that I miss it very much! Nothing much to say about this chapter except that I'm still thinking about what Sasuke and Naruto's reaction would be over this. Please say that I did okay? Pretty please? Well review me and let me know if you have any opinions and ideas! Does anyone out there like this fic at all because I had so many twists for this story but just can't seem to find the time 2 write it:( C'mon guys I need your beautiful inspirational reviews with which... I shall write!
Oh okay off topic... creepy
Ja!