:I haven't actually read the manga yet… but I hear loads of cool stuff is about to happen! Haha!
:Okay… chapter 18… let's see if this really turns out to be a tragedy…
Chapter 18: Awakenings
As Sasuke collapsed, Konoha hospital…
"SASUKE-KUN!!" a loud cry was heard all over the hospital, causing a few people to drop trays and spill their coffee.
Ino almost dropped the flower vase she was holding as she visited Sakura at the hospital. "Oh my god! Sakura! You're finally awake!" she jumped and hugged her no-longer-comatose friend on her hospital bed.
"Ino… how did I get here? WHERE'S SASUKE-KUN?" She said, panicking.
"You…you've been comatose for more than a month." She said with a small smile, happy her friend was finally conscious. "Sasuke… he's gone."
"What do you mean he's gone?" Sakura said with a look of worry in her face.
"He went off to kill Itachi." She said plainly.
"WHAT!?" Sakura said in disbelief.
"He went off to kill his brother… Kakashi-sensei said that we should just let him. He stopped Naruto from going after him."
"Kakashi-sensei… Naruto… Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said, tears rolling down her face.
"It's okay Sakura. Everyone's fine. Just fine." Ino said reassuringly.
"How long has Sasuke-kun been gone?"
"He went off as soon as you were here at the hospital… he doesn't even know if you're alive."
"Ino… what if… what if he's… dead?" Sakura said, crying.
"Don't worry… he can take care of himself… besides, you've gotta stay strong, you're carrying the future of his clan after all…" Ino said, smiling.
"The future of his clan…" Sakura said, thinking. "Don't tell me I'm—."
"You're pregnant Sakura." Ino confirmed.
"Oh my…" Sakura said excitedly. She remembered that night at the Uchiha compound, before they went on the mission to rescue Hinata. Sasuke went to her room after they talked, it was a beautiful night.
"Congratulations!" Ino said, smiling. She was happy for her friend, but still, she couldn't help but feel jealous of her, and how happy she must feel.
"Thank you so much Ino." Sakura said.
"What for?" Ino said, puzzled.
"Everything." Sakura said.
"What are best friends for?" Ino said, smiling.
Sakura just smiled.
"So… can you remember anything while you were comatose?" Ino said worriedly. She actually doesn't want her to know about her problems, not anymore.
"Nothing really. Just darkness, and terror, and blood, and… death." Sakura said sadly. Those visions from Itachi were ones she doesn't hope to remember. They were very horrifying and disturbing.
"Oh. Sorry I asked." Ino said.
"Nah, it's all in the past now." Sakura said. "Why do you think I woke up now? You think Sasuke killed him already?" she said with curiosity in her voice.
"I'm not sure… maybe." She looked at the flowers on Sakura's bedside table. "Sakura… I-I wanted to tell you something." Ino said with a serious look on her face. "But you have to promise me that you won't stop me."
"Huh? Why… what is it?" Sakura said, puzzled.
"I'm leaving Konoha, as soon as possible." Ino said.
"Why?" she said with a look of both worry and confusion.
Ino didn't answer, instead she was looking at the blue sky outside…
Yesterday, at Ichiraku's Ramen Bar…
"Kiba… I-I wanted to tell you that—." Ino said from behind the seat Kiba was in. She had finally mustered up the courage to say 'yes', she held the diamond ring in her hand.
To her horror, he saw another girl in his arms… long blonde hair, blue eyes… just like her.
"Oh no…" Ino said, tears now flowing from her eyes. She ran quickly to the exit.
"Ino! Ino wait!" Kiba said, standing up and letting go of the girl. He ran after her.
"I can't believe he would do this…" she told herself, running, not sure where, but anywhere away from Kiba… anywhere away from that girl.
"INO!" Kiba said, grasping her hand. They had reached the road leading to the village's exit.
"Kiba… I…" Ino said. "I'm so sorry."
"I should be the one who's sorry." Kiba said, pulling her into his arms.
"No, Kiba…" she said, and took his hands into hers, still crying.
"Ino… I-I-." Kiba said.
Ino let go of his hands, and kissed him, ever so softly on the cheek, right where his fang mark was. "Goodbye Kiba." Ino whispered in his ear. She leaped to the trees and disappeared.
"Ino…" Kiba said, and looked at his hand. There was the ring. "I'm so… so sorry…" He said, and his eyes filled with his own tears.
Ino ran for home, anywhere but here… "If I had just said yes… this never would have happened… you never would have looked at that girl." she thought, as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. "This is all my fault." She cried even more.
It was a night both of them would always remember, how wrong everything was, how right it felt when they were in each other's arms, how they both thought the other didn't love the other. How messed up the whole thing was, that Ino decided to just stop and avoid it. How fear got the better of both of them, and how regret was the most prominent feeling of the night.
The present, at Sakura's hospital room…
"Ino? Hey, Ino-pig!" Sakura said, it had been a few minutes of silence already.
"Huh?" Ino snapped out of the memory and got back to reality.
"Why are you leaving?" Sakura said.
"Oh… nothing… there's this training thing, for the ANBU… my family's mind techniques are perfect for intelligence gathering and that stuff…" Ino said. It wasn't all a lie. It was true, but just partially. She was offered the training weeks ago, but was still having second thoughts on it, but this time, she was sure.
"Hmm…When are you going then?" Sakura asked.
"I'm not sure, they haven't told me everything yet, but I expect to be leaving by the end of the week… Anyway, what are you naming the kid?" she said to change the subject.
"Oh… that depends… is he a he or a she?" Sakura said, smiling, and rubbing her belly.
"It's too early to find out… but I'll bet on a boy." Ino said.
"Hmm… I guess I'll let Sasuke-kun name him then…" Sakura said wishfully. "I hope he gets back soon though…"
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Ino said.
At the same moment, at the Akatsuki hideout at Amegakure…
Shikamaru and Temari had scratches all over their bodies, clearly from a hard fight, and they heard the explosion in the tunnels and decided to check it out, Temari's eyes widened in shock at what she saw at the now roofless cave centre.
"Shika-kun! Look!" Temari said, pointing at two bodies on the far side of the cave.
"What is it now?" Shikamaru said, and rushed towards the two once he realized what they were.
"It's… Sasuke Uchiha?" Temari said, as she went for a closer look.
Shikamaru's eyes widened as he saw everything before him… the cave's roof had been blown, and the centre of the hideout was like one huge crater… a great battle had been fought here… and there were two bodies… one in an Akatsuki cloak… he recognized to be Itachi Uchiha, who was certainly dead. There were black marks on the floor where the body lay, like lightning struck, and the water from the rain had blood mixed in it, probably from both bodies… then, there was Sasuke, unconscious and his clothes stained by blood.
After using his supposedly brilliant brain in analyzing their present predicament, he came to a conclusion. "Temari… let's take this one with us. He might still be alive." Shikamaru said, and carried Sasuke's body. "He's killed his brother already? But he used up so much chakra, he must be extremely exhausted." He thought, glaring at the Uchiha.
Shikamaru was surprised when Sasuke coughed out blood and muttered: "Take him… with you." But was out cold again shortly after.
"How troublesome." Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes. "You heard him…" he looked questioningly at Temari.
"Oh fine, fine." The blonde sand kunoichi looked worriedly at Itachi's body. "You sure he's dead?"
"Yeah. Don't worry. I don't think he'll be killing anyone anymore." Shikamaru said, and began the journey to Konohagakure.
"If you're sure." Temari said, carried Itachi's body and followed.
That night at Konoha hospital…
"Sakura-chan!! You're awake!!" Naruto exclaimed as he entered her hospital room.
"Yeah. I'm feeling pretty good too." She said with a smile. "So… what happened after our mission?"
"Well… uhm… I got Hina-chan home, and her dad was… uhm, relieved to see her." Naruto said. "It didn't look like he was too happy, but… I don't know." He said with a confused look plastered on his face.
"I see." Sakura said. "I guess her father still hasn't changed." She thought.
Naruto began to speak again. "Uhm… Sakura-chan… Sasuke…uhm…"
"It's fine Naruto. Ino told me already." She said with a reassuring smile.
"I'm really sorry… Kakashi-sensei told me not to…" Naruto said in a low voice.
"I understand. Don't worry about it." She said.
Suddenly, Ino entered the room.
"Sakura… Naruto… Sasuke's here!" She said, catching her breath.
:Well… there's chapter 18 for yah, whoever is still reading this thing… it isn't so tragic after all... well in Sasuke and Sakura's case at least.
:Thanks for reading!! Please review.