11/16/12
A/N: Hello everybody. Finally after four years, I decided to watch Naruto again. And with that watching, came a desire to finish my old fanfiction. I've always been writing, just not fanfiction. Honestly, I have no idea if anyone will even read this since it's been so long... but I really want to finish this. I always do this, and I want to try to break that habit. Especially now that I am much older, and a lot better at writing now. I have more ideas for this fanfiction, and I'm currently only up to the first Naruto series but I will get into Shippuden soon, so the parts with Sasuke's past may be reflected through some of those occurrences. Well, thanks for the support if you do decide to indulge in this writing again. And as always, SasuxSaku, NaruxHina, and ShikaxIno will be incorporated into this story. Note also that more characters will come into play as the story develops more, and I think that's it for now... Lastly, this chapter is dedicated to DarkHope x3~
It's been a while...
::-::-::-::-:: Time breaks/Scene skips!
Italics/Regular – Flashbacks with regular text is a flashback in a flashback...hopefully that makes sense. (NEW: Italics with regular text can also be dream scenarios.)
And Italics/Bold used with regular text it stressing the point!
And BOLD in general is to emphasize.
OH! And Regular with Italics is used for thoughts.
I'm sure this sounds confusing, but you'll get it eventually.
::-::-::-::-::
Of course...
Did I create Naruto?
Nooo.
Did I create this fanfiction?
Yesss.
::-::-::-::-::
Retrogression
By: dark dreamerx
::-::-::-::-::
Chapter 8
(Four years later...I actually intend to finish this fanfiction.)
Chills.
The hair on his arms,
erected.
Onyx eyes darted.
Back.
And forth.
And back again.
Pause.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"Sasuke...she will leave Konoha."
Pause.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"...This is an A-Rank Mission."
The Hokage's voice.
Firm.
The Chuunin beside her.
Hyuga Hinata.
Pale eyes.
Body trembling.
"T-Tsunade-sama...?
Silence.
She knew.
Silence.
He knew.
Silence.
They all knew.
"Sasuke, bring back Sakura."
A request.
A threat.
Pause.
No.
More than that.
"Naruto can't save her."
A statement.
A realization.
Pause.
S-class criminal,
Uchiha Sasuke.
Had a mission.
The same mission,
shinobi were assigned.
Four years ago.
When he'd left.
For good.
Abandoned them.
Abandoned him.
Abandoned her.
Everything.
Oh, how funny life was.
How damn cruel.
Breath.
Sheets ruffled.
Bare feet touched cold tile.
Indifferent features etched his face.
"Give me my weapons."
Movement.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Pause.
He took the bag held out to him.
Hinata stood up.
White eyes regarded him.
Gravely.
"P-please...help Naruto-kun..."
Pause.
"A-And...save Sakura-san..."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"Hn."
Step, step.
"Wait. Take these."
The Godaime held up a bottle.
Food pills.
Sasuke reached out,
grasped the bottle.
Dark eyes questioned her.
Why do I need these?
"Sasuke. Don't be a fool."
Brown eyes bore into dark depths.
"She is a medical shinobi. I trained her."
She paused,
gold faltering.
Then,
voice frigid.
"She can kill you."
What?
Oxygen quietly ingested.
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
Heart burned.
He was left in his thoughts.
Surely, Sakura wouldn't be...
that hard to bring back.
Yes, admittedly...
he'd almost died before.
But because he'd wanted it.
The pain.
The blood.
That feeling.
To be alive.
He didn't want to fight her.
And...
He'd seen it.
The emotion on her face.
When he'd embraced her.
The facade crumbling.
He could save her.
The kunoichi whom he...
loved?
Yes.
He'd declared it to himself.
To her.
To them.
He wouldn't let her escape.
No...
Haruno Sakura,
you are mine.
::-::-::-::-::
"Tsunade-baa-chan!"
On cue, her office doors burst open.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Sixteen years young.
Future Hokage.
The Godaime sighed.
Number one knuckle-headed ninja.
That never changed.
Footsteps.
Blonde tuft.
Infuriated azure eyes.
Clenched fists.
Oh no.
"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SENTENCE IS THAT FOR THAT BASTARD?!"
Blunt.
It'd been moments.
Mere moments,
after Konoha addressed the S-criminal.
The sentence had been simple.
Redeem his loyalty to the Hidden Leaf.
And...
The tasks included various things.
Graduating from the Academy.
Again.
Then,
Genin level missions.
Intense training with his former teammates,
so they would know his every move.
And lastly,
close watching.
If anything went wrong...
The forbidden jutsu.
A seal.
Every Chuunin, and Jounin knew.
To put him into a near-death state.
Naruto knew.
Of course.
Sakura...
did not.
She would have killed him,
instantly.
The blonde Hokage folded her hands together.
Peered at the Chuunin before her.
A steady gaze.
"We are not murderers, Naruto. Remember that."
"TO HELL WE AREN'T!"
Venom.
His verbatim.
"WHY DID HE EVEN COME BACK?! DID HE KILL ITACHI?! DID HE KILL OROCHIMARU?!"
Rage.
Sasuke had told him nothing.
Tsunade sighed.
Her patience had run thin.
"ANSWER ME DAMNIT!"
She snapped.
"NARUTO! STOP YELLING LIKE A CHILD!"
His expression fell.
She continued.
"If you must know everything, SHUT UP and SIT DOWN!"
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
A lone chair.
Orange slacks slumped.
"G-Gomen..."
Contorted face.
Brows crumbled.
Then,
lake eyes met mahogany.
Waiting.
For her answer...
"Naruto, this is confidential information. I trust you will not repeat this, correct?"
A pause.
"Of course you can trust me, dattebayo..."
::-::-::-::-::
The Hokage watched as Sasuke fled the hospital.
His form disappeared.
Darkness.
The sun would come up soon.
Illuminate the black.
Maybe that,
would be a good omen.
"Ts-Tsunade-sama...?"
Silence.
"Hnn?"
Silence.
Silence.
"Can...he do it?"
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"I hope so."
Wind gusted.
Strands of hair tangled and danced.
Tsunade closed her eyes.
Inhaled.
Exhaled.
Opened them.
"Hinata."
Pale eyes fell on the Godaime.
"H-Hai?"
"We have to assemble a rescue team. Rock Lee, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino."
Pause.
"Hinata, before the sun comes up... You must go."
The prodigy shuffled her feet.
Eyes stern.
"Yes Tsunade-sama!"
Dash.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Silhouette dissipated.
Leaves.
Flew around her vision.
Now blurring.
She hadn't cried,
in so long.
Blink.
Warm.
Wet.
Trickled down her cheeks.
Wind picked up.
Abrasive.
Winter.
Lipstick smiled.
Pitifully.
"Even the village...knows of the despair..."
::-::-::-::-::
Two hours.
Just two hours had passed.
From that incident...
Sakura was gone.
A ninja.
A comrade.
A friend...
whom Ino had believed in.
Gone.
"Shikamaru..."
Silence.
A stir.
Blankets shuffled.
A face.
Brown eyes emerged from heavy lids.
"Hn...?"
Tears,
against the pillow.
Again.
"I-Ino...?"
Her body trembled.
Lips twisted.
Frowning.
Tight.
Silence.
Large hands grasped her cheeks.
"Ino, what's...troubling you?"
Pause.
"Is it...?"
A whimper.
Eyes shut tight.
His own widened.
This is troublesome.
He caressed her skin.
Moved his body to her.
Lips to forehead.
Hands to shoulders.
Arms around her.
A deep breath.
"Ino... Don't cry... I hate when you cry."
Damn...girls are hard to comfort.
"Sh-Shikamaru...she...she...!"
A sob.
Shaky breath.
Tears wetting his bare chest.
As she cried against him.
In her bed...
where they were supposed to be sleeping.
A sigh.
"Shhh... I know... It's alright... Ino..."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
"...I'm-I'm...so so-sorry..."
Her voice cracked.
Hurt.
That was all she felt.
"Shh..."
He rubbed her back.
Soothed words in her ears.
He hadn't seen her like this in so long.
She tried so hard.
So hard not to show emotion.
But even Ino...
Could not hide it forever.
Silence.
Silence.
Sob.
Breath.
Then a noise.
Shikamaru waited for it again.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Ino shot up.
Blankets tumbled off them.
Shikamaru was vertical.
She followed suite.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Knock, Knock Knock.
"Tch, it's barely morning! How troublesome..."
"Wh-Who do you think it is?"
Silence.
"I don't know. I guess we'll find out."
The brunette left the bedroom.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Quick feet.
The front door was in view.
Step, Step, Step, Step.
Brown eyes fell on blue.
A finger to his lips.
A nod.
Shikamaru sighed.
"Who's there?"
His voice solid.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Then,
"Hyuga Hinata. Sa-Sakura's gone!"
Instantaneously the door flung open.
Two sets of bewildered eyes met white.
Determination etched in them.
"We have to save her... Ts-Tsunade-sama... said it's our mission."
"What? Where did she go?"
The Shadow jutsu user was in shock.
How did she possibly escape the village?
Why would she even do that?
Where was she going?
His mind raced.
Memories.
Tragic ones.
It was Sasuke's rescue mission all over again.
And that time...
they'd all failed.
A/N: I look forward to finishing this fanfiction...hopefully I can update at least twice a month. Maybe more if I have the time. Thank you in advance if anyone still wants to read this... and I hope you enjoyed it! Also, Naruto and Sakura's battle will continue in the next chapter...
-darkdreamerx