Go Home, Sasuke
I DO NOT OWN NARUTO
Chapter Six: Home
Ame apartment complex, 12:52 AM.
Smoke hazed around the ceiling of the bare hallway, emerald eyes stared intently at the curling white wallpaper of the room around her as she stood in the small hallway, which had two doors, one leading to the bathroom… the other, to that room, the room she hasn't stepped foot in for nearly a year.
Her hands brushed along the cold wood, and she rested her forehead against it, sliding down the surface of the door before dropping to her knees, tears filling her eyes, she had that dream again, the same dream that plagued her sleep ever since that night… Itachi's headband curled in her delicate fingers as she broke down, her breaths ragged as she cried out in anguish.
Why… why did this keep happening to her? Either everyone she loved fell before her in battle, or left her. Was she just meant to be this miserable? Did she even have a right to feel like this? It was after all, her fault. Her fault Itachi was gone, her fault Sasuke was so broken, her fault, her fault, her fault. The words echoed through her mind every moment she was alive. She couldn't burn the memories away, not matter how hard she tried. They just wouldn't go away. Kami, why wouldn't they go away…
She closed her eyes, a shaky breath escaping as a string of hacking coughs erupted, she cupped a hand over her mouth, eyes watering as crimson blood oozed from between her fingers, she deserved this for smoking a pack of cigarettes a day since she was fifteen.
She sighed and rolled onto her back, "It's just a door… but it feels like as soon as I enter that room… my world will fall apart." She whispered into the darkness, which gave no answer, but that was to be expected, it never did. She slowly outstretched a hand above her, her heart giving a painful clench, the alcohol in her system making her vision blurry, the running mascara from her tears was partially at fault as well.
"Itachi… why won't you come home?" She whispered her voice hoarse and forced as she tried to reach out to him, but he was so far away… untouchable, he wasn't coming back, not for her, not for anyone. He was gone; he wasn't a part of this world anymore.
She curled into a ball, her heart straining as she pulled her knees to her chest, her anguished wails the only noise in her dark apartment as she cried out to him, wishing just for once that he would appear and console her, as he had done so many times before…
Sobs echoed through the empty apartment as a girl with short candy colored locks laid on the bed before her, blood staining her hands as she sobbed on the white couch in her living room, shaking uncontrollably with shame…
She'd taken a man's life today… and for what? What reason did he have to die? Simply because he'd seen something he wasn't supposed to, because he'd been at the wrong place at the wrong time… she had to act like she didn't hear his cries of mercy and pleads, she had to pretend she hadn't been watching him the week prior, struggling to support his impoverished family because his wife was too sick to work and his children too young to toil.
She left that family to tend to itself…
"Sakura."
She didn't raise her head at the familiar voice, or shift as arms wrapped around her, she soon found herself in the familiar lap a crimson-eyed man, he was cradling her to his chest lovingly, stroking her hair as his lips placed gentle kisses to the top of her head, he didn't say anything, he didn't need to. His presence alone was comforting her. He was here for her and that's all that mattered.
"Sakura. Death claims us all; you must accept what you have done. All actions in this world have consequence." He spoke gently, cradling her to his chest, allowing her tears to soak the red and black cloak of Akatsuki.
"Itachi… is this the consequence you spoke of? If so- is death even worth the blood on my hands?" His name ghosted on her lips as she fell into a drunken, painful sleep.
Ame apartment complex, 2:53 AM
The onyx haired Uchiha slipped through the back doors of her apartment complex soundlessly, rain once again clinging his clothing to his chest as he walked through the empty room, expecting the pinkette to be in her usual seat on that terribly uncomfortable couch, but when his crimson eyes noticed she wasn't lying there passively, he slowly drifted to the side, looking down the small hallway to find her curled up on the floor of the hallway, blood drying on the corner of her mouth and hands.
He bent down and swooped the sleeping pinkette into his arms, noticing her breathing was ragged, forced, he lowered an ear to his chest, hearing her breathing rumbling through her chest, and with a sigh he wordlessly shook his head, she needed to take better care of herself.
He carried her over to the couch, gently placing her down, placing a slender hand over her forehead, finding comfort in the fact she wasn't running a fever he draped a blanket over her, taking a seat at the end of the couch, noticing how she curled against him with a sigh.
For a moment he froze, unsure of what to do, he placed a hand atop her head, stroking the silky tendrils of pink hair, brushing her bangs back as his mother had done to him whenever he was sick or upset, she nuzzled forward, and he felt a small sigh escape her light pink lips.
Droplets of water dripped from his inky locks as he slowly raised his head to the ceiling, eyes soft and somber.
"I forgive you, aniki." (A/N: 'aniki' means older brother.)
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Devastatingly short, I just wanted to put some stuff in before I went to sleep because some of you were kind enough to remind me you still read this story, thank you so much.
Oh, and yes, I follow the plot quite intently, but this wasn't meant to be cannon whatsoever. I'm sorry if that's what you wanted, we're far past that. :/
-Sakura-Centric