Disclaimer: I don't Naruto.
11. Rubicon
The ceiling needs a new paint job, is the first thought that crosses Sasuke's mind when he finally manages to escape his own nightmares and enter reality once again.
"Sasuke-kun!"
You're too loud Sakura, is the second.
Slowly, painstakingly, he tries to sit up.
He fails.
"Here, let me help you." Arms gently prop him up and then proceed to embrace him. He doesn't protest.
His mind feels like mush. He feels like mush.
"I've been so worried." Warm wetness (tears?) bloom across his neck. "I'm so glad you're finally awake."
Did he leave? Where did he go?
"Thank goodness Tsunade-sama arrived."
Tsuna…de…?
"Are you still feeling tired Sasuke-kun? Are you hungry?"
Is he? What happened?
He remembers fighting and then…
His head hurts.
A flash of orange fleets in the peripheral of his vision but his mind feels too muddled to process what it was. He feels he should recognize it but it hurts to think.
"Wait here, I'll get some fruit for you so that you could eat."
He watches quietly as she leaves him alone in the room. And stares unblinking at the empty space.
He wishes his head didn't hurt as much. Had he been sleeping all this time? Why?
Sasuke blinks when his eyes start to hurt and let his gaze slowly roam around the room. The bright yellow flowers sitting on the bed's nightstand arrest his attention.
"Do you like them?" He hears Sakura entering and closing the door behind her. "Hinata-chan replaces them with fresh ones every day. They're really pretty, I think she called them—"
"Sakurasou." His voice comes out raspy, like something from the bottom of a dry well.
"Oh, that's right. You were making a balm from those flowers, I remember."
His eyes dart to Sakura's face, yellow spots dotting his vision. He had been staring at the flowers too long.
Balm…?
That's right. Poultice for bruises, was what she had said.
She…? Ah…Hinata…?
He stares right past Sakura's shoulder, processing who Hinata is.
The memory comes slowly, like the rising of the tide, but once it did, his mind felt overcome, like a once empty cave suddenly brimming with water.
Recalling a single person unlocks the barrier of fog clouding his mind. Memories flash across his consciousness, stopping at last on the final image he saw before he succumbed to the nightmares.
His brother's—no—Itachi's red eyes.
Mocking him.
He lost. Again. It was…
Sasuke's fingers grip the sheets tightly, his knuckles becoming white.
…Humiliating.
To make the shame even more absolute, Itachi had wanted something from Naruto and had deemed him, Sasuke, unworthy of even fighting.
Naruto, who is—was—so much weaker than him.
How did it come to this? Is it even possible that he is now playing second fiddle to Naruto? The Dobe?
But who is he kidding? Of course it's possible. It's happening already. Isn't Naruto the one who had saved Sakura and Konoha? The very same one who had enough skill to summon that huge toad and fight Sabaku no Gaara?
Y-You were all so b-brave in protecting the v-village.
Tch. Who needs bravery? It was all he had in the end.
Pathetic.
What he needs is power. Power to defeat Itachi, power to overtake Naruto…power to crush everything standing in the way of his goals.
I always thought they were the same.
Wrong. Wrongwrongwrongwrong! His hands begin to shake with the force of the anger and self-loathing he is feeling in his gut.
"Hmm, Sasuke-kun, are you feeling alright? Does your head still hurt?" Sakura asks worriedly beside him. "Maybe I should call Tsunade-sama…"
"No," he bites out raggedly.
"Alright…your voice doesn't sound right. I'll get you some water." Sakura begins to stand up.
"Take the sakurasou with you." Sasuke wants to lash out but he is too tired still. But he knows what he has to do.
"The flowers? Why?" Sakura sounds genuinely puzzled by his request.
He has to defeat Naruto first. He has to prove to himself that he is still stronger. Still superior compared to a dead last.
He answers darkly, "I don't want Naruto's leftovers."
.
.
.
A/N:
Hei fowks! How do you find the story so far? We're almost near the time skip and now I need your help on things. You see, I'm finding myself in a quandary on how I should proceed with the story. I know I've said that I want to remain as faithful to canon as I can before I let loose on the crazy stuff, I still do, but I need perspective. So what do you think I should do?
1 – continue showing Sasuke's take on things (which would unfortunately be Hinata-less most of the time) for a few more chapters then proceed to the romance, or
2 – show Sasuke's perspective for one or two (or three or four) chapters and then skip ahead to the romance, or!
3 – "Surprise us!"
Right-o! Let me know what you think in your review or PM me.
As usual, thanks and hugs to my reviewers for your never ending support and encouragements! Big smooches to UchihaMistress723, Lastine, Hinata6, YingYang890, MeltYouWithOneKiss, Saki-Hime, imatwilightfan, FallenRaindrops, fuzzywuzzy35, and cooink, as well as to those who reviewed the previous chapters!
Thanks for reading!