Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto characters.
Bring Me To Life
Summary: After Sasuke left, Sakura didn't know what her purpose in life was anymore. Her presence has becoming nothing. When three years pass, Sasuke comes back to Konoha. At his return, Sakura is at a mix of emotions. "Save Me From The Nothing I've Become."
Chapter 8 – Gone
She had lost track of time, having had no idea how long the tears continued seeping out of her eyes, flowing down her cheeks. It seemed no matter what she seemed to do, her sorrow would never leave her, leaving her to have miserable thoughts plague every waking moment.
I've trained so hard all this time, and he still beat me! And worst of all, he was going easy on me…
You don't know if he was going easy on you. Inner Sakura tried to reason. Besides, he had the help of a sannin—
But so did we – we had Tsunade-shishou! Her mouth choked out a hearty sob, lowering her face to bury her head in her hands.
"I just wasn't good enough…" she mumbled brokenly in her palms.
"What are you waiting for?" she spoke hoarsely, her voice barely above a whisper. "Aren't you going to finish me off?"
It was then she allowed her eyes to flicker upon his face, only to feel her body grow numb when she realized what truly close proximity he was to her. She warily watched his arm rise, his thumb and forefinger grasping her chin.
Large, sea green eyes expanded when she felt his mouth press against hers.
He pressed into her slightly more forcefully as his head tilted, his mouth slanting over hers. As he pushed against her, Sakura could feel the back of her head connecting with the rough bark of the tree she was against.
Before she could fully realize, her body still engulfed in stunned lack of sensation, Sasuke pulled back.
Somewhat desperately her eyes roved the sharp angles of his face, wondering what his reaction would be to his sudden spontaneous action. Instead, she only saw him whisk his head to the side, silky raven bangs hiding the reaction she so urgently wanted to glimpse upon.
"You lose, Sakura."
His murmur was brusque, attached with the low, husky tone of his voice.
Sakura felt another cold chill of air brush by her, witnessing a few idle verdant leaves fly by. Before she knew it, the breeze grew stronger, and soon Sasuke was gone with the wind, vanishing before her very eyes.
The memory constantly played in her mind, over and over similar to a nonstop preview for a movie. Her heart throbbed with ache, her mind perplexed at his particular actions. At the passing moments, she could make sense of nothing.
Her body was drained, wiped out – yet she forced her legs to move as she shakily rose, standing. Tilting her head upwards, emerald eyes glanced upon the serene atmosphere. Judging by the lighting of the clouds, she could see that dawn was approaching.
With the back of her hand, she wiped away her remaining tears hastily. Now knowing the time was nearing dawn, she began making her way towards Team Kakashi's meeting place, knowing their training would begin around this time. Her frail, wounded body stumbled as she ambled towards the meeting grounds.
How am I going to tell Naruto and Kakashi-sensei…?
She could see the burgundy railing of the bridge not too far ahead of her as she dragged her limbs towards the area. Her head lowered as she pointed her jade gaze towards the ground. Just seeing the bridge caused many remembrances to flash in her mind of the past times with Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke. The original Squad Seven.
Once at the viaduct, her body leaned over the railing with her elbows propped up against the metal. Large, glistening sea green eyes stared down at her face reflecting in the clear water, streaked with tear marks. She also noted her how eyes and nose were red, a flush on her cheeks from her crying.
((SFX: Drip, drip, drip…))
Silent tears escaped from her eyes, despite her disliking of the fact, as they slipped down her cheeks to the flowing river below her. She rested the side of her head against her elbows, leaning forward against the railing even more.
"Hello, hag," Sakura heard a familiar voice say. "You're here early."
She whisked her head away from the direction she heard the voice, pastel pink hair framing her face, hiding her expression. "Hello, Sai."
Along with his serene expression, his obsidian eyes silently noted the lifeless state of the doll before him.
"Where is Sasuke-kun?" asked Sai blankly, ebony orbs scanning the area, "Dickless happened to mention he would be here by now."
Sakura felt her heart wrench at his words. Wiping her face with her hands to rid the wetness on her cheeks, she turned to face the painter abruptly.
"Never mind him. Where have you been lately?"
"Missions," the artist replied with a nonchalant shrug. His brow arched upon seeing her moist emerald eyes, glistening from the unshed water beneath them.
He looks so much like Sasuke-kun… thought Sakura decrepitly, having never fully noticed the similarities until this very moment.. I only saw a few similarities before… but now he looks like his long-lost twin. Or maybe it's because I miss him so much that I'm just imagining things—
"Sakura."
Sakura visibly jumped at the familiar voice, blurting out, "Sasuke-kun?"
Blinking obsidian orbs, Sai remained with his calm composure. "No, I am Sai."
Sakura mentally slapped herself at her foolish mistake. "Right, sorry. I was… thinking."
"I am nothing like the betrayer. Do not confuse him with myself."
"You're right. You and him are very different," she noted solemnly, bringing her vacant gaze back to the flowing river.
He watched her serenely, curious of her strange actions. He strolled leisurely beside her, his baffled mind growing when he saw her body tense when he neared her.
"Something bothering you, hag?" questioned the ink-painter, giving her his common fake smile.
"I'm fine," she replied hastily. Emerald eyes shifted around as she glanced around the surroundings. "Where's Naruto? I need to talk to him." She continued glimpsing around, looking or any sign of the blond-haired ramen lover.
As if on cue, Naruto's form was seen sprinting towards the two.
"Sakura-chan! Sai! Sasuke—" Instantly the kyuubi vessel stopped when he didn't see any sign of the Uchiha. "Huh? Sakura-chan, where's Sasuke-teme? I thought he would be here… I wanted to show him my new jutsu and kick his ass with it!"
It couldn't be helped the clear pained expression that crossed Sakura's face. She heavily swallowed the large lodge forming in her throat, hating the fact that she would be the one to bear such news to her cheerful companion.
Upon seeing her distraught face, Naruto immediately looked at the kunoichi with worry. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"
Her mouth opened slowly, only to find her lips had gone dry as she could produce no words. Her gaze lowered, tilting her head downwards as her jaw mouthed a few words, her voice barely above a whisper.
"…He's gone, Naruto."
The said boy's frowned deepened at the words. "What do you mean, 'gone'? Sasuke-teme wouldn't leave again…!"
Her body shook from her grief, forcing her jade stare to meet his own. "He… he would. And he did."
Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, his own mouth feeling dry. It couldn't be help the evident pain that flashed across usual twinkling cerulean eyes. "You… you saw him?"
"I—I tried my best to stop him… but…" Sai heard Sakura choke out a sob, her eyes shutting tightly as though trying to block out the sight of something. "I—I couldn't…"
Immediately Naruto's face twisted into an unreadable one, sun-kissed blonde hair hiding the view of his eyes. He walked over to where his blossom-haired teammate stood, engulfing her in a tight, comforting hug. His fists clenched as he felt her sob into his shoulder, the area growing soaked with her tears.
"It's… it's not your fault, Sakura-chan. Sasuke-teme's going to come back – you'll see. He probably just needed sometime to think on his own—"
"Why do you care for a one that has betrayed the village formerly?" questioned Sai, obsidian eyes drawing to a close. "If all he does is hurt you, why even bother to care for one that breaks bonds?"
Naruto glared at Sai, "Shut up, you don't even know Sasuke enough to call him that!" His cerulean eyes blazed with offended anger upon feeling Sakura's body shake even more continually in his grasp. "Look what you did!" he whispered harshly to the painter, his blood boiling as he continued trying to comfort the kunoichi in his arms, his hand rubbing up and down her back in a soothing manner.
He felt Sakura's head shake in his chest before she pushed herself away from him. Using the back of her hands, she wiped away the tears flowing from her eyes.
"I can't cry for him anymore," she whispered brashly to herself.
"Sure you can, Sakura-chan…" replied Naruto, having heard her comment. "It's okay to let out your emotions sometimes!"
Sakura gave him a weak fake smile, remembering what Sasuke had told her was the complete opposite of the blond's statement.
"Why am I so weak?" she murmured to herself softly, absent-mindedly.
"Because you let your emotions control your actions," answered Sasuke emphatically.
The skilled medic nin looked up at him. "How could I not?" she questioned, further probing, "Don't you ever feel guilty, bad, anything?"
"I did. But I don't let it get to me anymore – it only distracts. Akin to what it's doing to you."
((SFX: Poof!))
"Yo," Kakashi greeted with a small salute. His charcoal pupil glanced over the area. "No Sasuke today?" he questioned nonchalantly.
Naruto shook his head miserably. "He left again, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi frowned underneath his mask upon observing the sorrowful faces of Naruto and Sakura.
"…I see."
His only visible coal eye glanced over at Sakura, lingering his gaze as the kunoichi, whom already was expecting his gaze, simply averted his glimpse.
"We'll have to go tell Tsunade-sama, then.," added the silver-haired jounin solemnly.
Naruto frowned at this, nodding in response nonetheless. His heart wrenched at the words. Just when he'd thought everything would go back to normal, when he had his brother-like companion back in their hometown – all too good to be true, he thought wistfully.
And so, without further more saying, Team Kakashi all vanished, their destination the Hokage Mansion.
((SFX: Knock, knock, knock))
The gentle fist of Kakashi's strike the door lightly, pocketing his latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise.
"Come in," Tsunade's voice was heard, her tone calm. She glanced up when she noticed her visitors step inside her oval office. "Team Kakashi," she greeted before quickly noticing the absence of one of the members with her gold pupils. "Where's Uchiha?"
"That is what we're to discuss with you, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi replied somberly.
The Godaime made a motion with her hands for him to continue before straightening herself in her seat, propping her elbows on her desk. She laced her fingers between one another, holding her connected hands in front of her face as she listened intently.
"He's gone," Sakura's voice suddenly spoke up, softly.
Instantaneously all eyes directed towards the blossom-haired kunoichi.
"I… saw him leave," she continued in a mere whisper. "I—I tried to stop him by fighting him… but he defeated me. I'm sorry, Tsunade-shishou."
"I should have known," Tsunade murmured after heaving a sigh. "I give him an opportunity and he takes advantage of it."
All four shinobi before the Hokage remained deadly silent.
"Listen up, Team Kakashi. You are receiving an immediate, discreet mission. You are to go after Sasuke and retrieve him, at all costs." Instantly, Naruto's posture straightened, eyes blazing with unyielding determination. "Sasuke couldn't have gotten far, seeing as he killed Orochimaru, and therefore he has nowhere to go. Do whatever means necessary to capture him and return him." Grave, golden eyes flickered over to the pink-haired kunoichi. "Sakura… you will remain here."
Sakura's emerald green eyes widened slightly, unbelieving what she had just heard. "What? Tsunade-shishou, why can't I come along? I can—"
Tsunade held up her hand, silencing her with an unspoken command. "Sakura, you did you're best. But you aren't going with them, understood?"
The medic nin frowned heavily at this. "But, Tsunade-shishou—"
"What I said is final. I'm not changing my mind."
Kakashi averted his gaze from the Godaime to Sakura, then resumed his previous gaze at the Hokage, giving the blonde woman a pointed look. "Tsunade-sama, I advise you reconsider. Naruto and Sakura are the closest people to Sasuke, and you know what happened last time when Naruto and Sasuke fought. Naruto almost got killed."
The said blond grunted at the mention of the former battle with the Uchiha prodigy.
Tsunade sighed at the silver-haired jounin's claim. "You aren't making this any easier than it is, Kakashi."
"Tsunade-shishou, please," Sakura pleaded with large, rounded sea green orbs.
The said blonde woman shook her head before sighing. "Very well, Sakura. Just control yourself – I don't want to see you hurt again."
Sakura smiled, giving the Godaime a low bow of respect and appreciation of the woman's concern of her. She knew very well that her mentor considered her as one of her own, their bond having frown in the past few years they had spent together.
"There is not another moment to waste," Tsunade spoke abruptly. "Now, go!"
Team Kakashi nodded, all simultaneously vanishing from sight.
Once at the outskirts of Konohagakure, Kakashi made a few hand seals, the movements formed with blinding speed.
((SFX: Poof!))
A cloud of smoke erupted, and one the fog cleared, a small bulldog coated with brown fur appeared.
"Pakkun," Kakashi greeted with a nod of his head as the small dog sit on it's rear end, scratching his ear with his foot. "Follow Sasuke's scent," the silver-haired jounin added in command.
Once finished scratching his floppy ears, Pakkun sat obediently on the ground. "Do you have something that I can use to get his scent?"
Instantly, Kakashi glanced over at Naruto, the blonde look back at him curiously.
"Naruto, don't you have Sasuke's headband?"
The kyuubi vessel nodded absently, taking a few moments of silence to finally catch on what the ex-ANBU had implied.
"Oh! Yeah, here it is!"
His hand dug in his pocket, pulling out the headband with the silver metal side sticking upwards at the air. He absent-mindedly frowned upon seeng the deep slash across the center of the headband, right through the symbol of the village Hidden in the Leaves.
On all fours, Pakkun waddled over to where Naruto crouched down, holding out Sasuke's headband for the dog to sniff.
"He isn't far," the fur-coated animal informed.
And with that, Team Kakashi set out to find the Uchiha, fierce determination laced with every step.