DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naurto"
Chapter 27: Reconcile
This one goes out to Bulla49. Thanks for all the reviews.
Sasuke turned to Juugo when the hideout came into view. "Go on ahead."
"Where are you going?" Suigetsu asked. He had regained consciousness shortly after the battle's end.
Sasuke's eyes turned to the forest. "There's something I have to take care of," he answered vaguely without looking at his teammates.
"How long before we come for you?" Juugo asked.
Sasuke glared. "You won't have to."
Juugo merely nodded before Sasuke turned his back on Team Taka. He made his way to the forest line and took to the trees. As he bounded through the woods, the sense of being watched increased and he knew without a doubt that Sakura was there. He jumped down to the ground as graceful as a cat before continuing through the underbrush at a steady and patient pace. He stopped when he noticed how unnaturally silent the air was. Just as he looked up, two shuriken sped past his head into the tree trunk behind him. His eyes widened for only a fraction of a second before once again hiding behind an emotionless mask.
"Sakura, come out," Sasuke ordered.
She jumped from a tree, landing six meters ahead of him. Straight backed, she shifted her weight to her left leg, making her hip jut out in a sassy manner, and crossed her arms. Her stance was utterly defiant. Sasuke could tell by the tightness of her jaw that Sakura was clenching her teeth.
"Sasuke!" Her voice was hard and filled with ire. "Why are you wearing that?"
The lack of her usual honorific threw him off and he wasn't able to reply as intelligently as he would have liked. "What?"
"I can't believe you actually joined the Akatsuki." She laughed mirthlessly that the sound was hollow and wrong. "And not only did you join them, but you also captured the Eight-Tails."
Her green eyes sparkled with something unfamiliar to Sasuke and he found it oddly disturbing that there were no tears present.
"Sakura—"
"Are you after Naruto now?" She stepped forward. "Are you going after Konoha now that you're Akatsuki?"
He was beginning to suspect that she wouldn't listen to a word he said. This battle wasn't going to be won with words.
"Gosh, I feel stupid!" She dropped her hands in exasperation. "I wasted so much time believing in you."
He blinked—winced—as her words struck him. There was a physical pain in his chest as what she said circulated in his head. It bound him. He could find no retort, couldn't force a smirk, couldn't move…which proved to be a problem when he found Sakura's fist flying toward his face. He was a tad on the slow side when he finally made an attempt to dodge the tiny fist. She grazed his cheek, but it was enough to turn the skin bright red.
It hurt. It really hurt.
When he found his footing, he discovered another fist swiftly heading in his direction. This time, he was lighter on his feet and dodged the attack smoothly. He found himself on the defense, constantly dodging or blocking flying fists, knees, and feet. He wondered how she had caught him so off guard. She wasn't supposed to be this skilled. He realized how much he had underestimated her as she attacked aggressively with a face fixed in fierce determination.
She had become faster, he noticed. Her movements were swift, but lacked grace. It was pure ferocity. Every move she made was accompanied by an unflattering guttural sound. Sakura dug in with her left leg as she threw a right hook, but Sasuke directed her fist away with his left arm. Instantly, she shifted her balance as she kicked up her left knee, which was also blocked. He cursed inwardly at the instant pain from the contact. She wasn't supposed to be fighting him. She wasn't supposed to be so ruthless. She was supposed to be intimidated by him. She was supposed to cry and beg for him to come home. Sakura flipped backwards, kicking her feet at him, but he dodged. A second after her hands touched the ground, her feet landed and she propelled herself forward, another fist poised for attack. With a minimal amount of movement in just his torso, Sasuke dodged the balled fist. His patience was wearing thin. Why couldn't she have let him talk first? Why did she have to be so hasty? Sakura fell to the ground in an attempt to trip him, but he jumped over her leg. Rolling in the air and landing a hand on the ground, he pushed off to increase the distance between him and Sakura. However, before his feet even touched the ground, he heard the rustling of dirt and cursed when he saw a boulder flying at him. He managed to dodge, only by dropping flat to the ground. She had just lifted a boulder. Sakura had just thrown a boulder at him. He couldn't believe it. The moment he stood, he found Sakura swinging a fist at his face. He threw his arms up to block the blow…but was surprised when her momentum changed.
Sakura growled—hiding the regret she felt—right before her right fist connected with Sasuke's abdomen. He grunted as he felt the ribs beneath her knuckles break. His feet left the ground. When his back landed on the hard earth, he gasped as the air was knocked from him a second time. He blinked from shock. His mind was reeling—he couldn't believe she had hit him. Sakura—fighting against her very heart—was on top of him in an instant, her foot coming down toward his head. Sasuke growled and rolled away in time for her heel to connect with the earth instead of his face.
He scrambled painfully to his feet and watched as the ground crumbled beneath the tiny girl's foot. At that moment, he recognized just how strong Sakura had become. If her foot had hit its target, Sasuke would have been killed. His widened eyes narrowed into a scowl. He couldn't help but feel the pain of betrayal forming in the deepest part of his chest. Were there any absolutes? He thought Sakura's loyalty was one, but she had just tried to kill him. Sasuke tried to straighten, but the searing pain of shattered bone and torn muscle made him double over. He bit his lip to keep the cry of agony from ripping through his mouth. Sakura was again coming at him, and he found himself struggling to evade her. A tree was against his back and her knuckles were flying towards his face. He could see the chakra pulsing around her skin like a strength-enhancing glove. Sasuke was furious that she could cripple him with a single punch. Yet…he was highly impressed. He was…proud of her. Sasuke locked his sight to her eyes and watched as the jade orbs widened with shock.
Sakura had every intention of punching in Sasuke's face. Really she had. But when she looked into his eyes, they were different. They were still incredibly dark, a shining black, and frustratingly haughty. But there were rings of icy gray—silver like the moon—that circled the pupils. She knew instantly that they were not Sasuke's eyes. Staring into those unfamiliar eyes made her hesitate for a split second, but it was just enough to give Sasuke an opening.
He pulled out his sword. The fight was now on his terms. He half-heartedly swung at the slight girl, but with a glimmer of light and a resounding clang, his sword met a kunai. Sasuke smirked. Her strength was impressive—supernatural—and the obvious reason she preferred taijutsu. However, other than her perfect chakra control, she had never been particularly skilled at ninjutsu. He charged his katana with Chidori and watched as Sakura's face strained with surprise as she fell forward. He knocked her back with an elbow to the face, but he felt a sort of guilt at striking her. He was supposed to protect her from harm. But he hadn't been there for her. That's when he realized that he was the reason for her new strength. Who would protect her if not herself? Sakura stumbled backwards and then righted her footing and regained balance. Sasuke, managing to bear the pain in his side, rushed forward. He clutched Sakura's wrist and twisted the arm behind her back, making her wince. He inched forward so he could whisper into her ear.
"Sakura, stop fighting."
"No," she growled vehemently.
She jerked her head back and managed to smash it into Sasuke's face. His grip instantly loosened and Sakura was able to get away from him. Sasuke noticed that, though she had definitely broken his nose, she hadn't used her superhuman strength. Was she holding back?
When Sakura faced him again, she recognized the mistake of looking into his eyes. They were scarlet with swirling tomoe.
Finally, she thought as a sense of pride filled her. He's finally taking me seriously.
When, at last, Sakura broke through the genjutsu Sasuke had placed on her, she found herself on the ground. He was hovering over her, the cold edge of his sword ghosting against the skin of her neck. He was looking down at her with cold indifference. She relaxed. Visibly relaxed.
"Do it."
Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.
"Kill me," Sakura elaborated in the most even tone she could muster.
He didn't reply. Her request was not what he'd been expecting. How could she ask him to kill her? Didn't she know he couldn't?
"Please, I can't continue." Her eyes darted away from his. "I can't do this anymore."
He watched her carefully. There were no tears and her voice was dry, calm. Perhaps she didn't have the energy to fight anymore, the energy to cry.
"I-I…you mean so much to me."
"Don't make this about you. It has never been about you," Sasuke replied coldly.
"Sasuke…please," her voice became soft and imploring. "I can't watch you descend further into darkness. I can't stand to watch you suffer."
"Then close your eyes," Sasuke replied. And then, despite the words burning as they left his mouth, he said, "Turn away, forget about me."
"I can't."
She smiled. Though she was covered in blood and dirt, Sasuke thought she was strikingly beautiful.
"Sakura…" he frowned.
"I don't want to forget about you."
She reached forward, hesitantly at first and then more boldly. Her fingers gently whispered over his jaw, and he didn't know why he allowed it. He didn't know why her words scared him. For whatever reason, the tickling sensation of her fingers on his skin warmed him. Her hand moved, combing through his raven hair until it was firm against the base of his head. Tentatively, she pulled him closer to her, her eyes sparkling.
"Please, end it," she whispered.
She continued to ease Sasuke toward her—perhaps he moved of his own will—and soon their faces were within a foot of each other. The blood from his profusely bleeding nose dripped on her face, and it unnerved him. He stared at her with uncertain eyes and swallowed thickly. And then…she yanked hard on him and sparks crackled in his vision as her forehead smashed into his. His world was consumed in black and he fell atop her, unconscious. Sakura pushed Sasuke's limp body off of her and sat up.
"I can't believe you fell for that," she marveled with a sigh. "Serves you right, though. Maybe next time you'll think twice before you decide to leave me unconscious on a bench."
~.~.~
When Sasuke woke, his head was heavy and ached with a sharp pain. He opened his eyes slowly and watched as the world swirled. He was in a cave. He also noticed that his side was no longer in pain. Sakura sat at his feet with her back to him. She was talking and it took Sasuke all of a minute to realize that she was talking to him.
"It must've been so hard."
Sasuke said nothing, but she knew he was listening.
"It's been hard on us, too," she said in a soft, somber voice.
"You didn't kill me," Sasuke stated flatly as he sat up.
Sakura sneered and looked over her shoulder at him. "I'm sorry. Did you want me to?" Her eyebrows drew together in a scowl. "I'm not letting you take the easy way out, Sasuke."
Again she refrained from using the honorific. It kind of irked him. She had yet to cry, yet to proclaim everlasting love, yet to hug him…he was familiar with those things. Had Sakura changed so much since the last time they met? It'd only been a few weeks back. No. She had been changing all this time…all the time he'd been gone. Sasuke knew he'd changed her and it irritated him.
This new Sakura intimidated him….slightly.
Sasuke reached up to his face and felt that his nose was also healed. "Why did you heal my injuries?"
"Because I don't intend to carry you back to Konoha."
"Hn."
"What made you join the Akatsuki?" She eyed him warily as she turned fully toward him.
He didn't answer for a long time as he weighed his options. If need be, she would drag him back to Konoha if he didn't cooperate. Or…he could go along with the game and walk back on his own two feet. What did it matter if he gave information about the Akatsuki to Konoha? He wanted to sever his ties with the crime group…and more importantly, he wanted Madara to die. He needed to return to Konoha to carry out the final steps of his revenge and Sakura would make it so easy.
Finally, he sighed as he made his decision. "I'm not with the Akatsuki."
"Then why are you wearing their cloak?"
"After…Madara gave—"
"Madara?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke glared at her. "Don't interrupt."
Sakura returned his glare but said nothing.
"Uchiha Madara has been hiding his face as the masked Akatsuki member known as Tobi," Sasuke said after a moment and watched as Sakura's eyes widened with recognition and disbelief. "He administered first aid to me and threatened to kill my teammates and I if we didn't work for him."
"He must be incredibly powerful," Sakura mused quietly.
"What did I say about interrupting?" Sasuke warned. "He told us about their hunt for the Tailed-Beasts. He gave my team the mission to capture the Eight-Tails while he tracks Naruto."
"Sasuke, how could you—"
"Sakura." He glared at her. She bit her lip and he continued. "The Hachibi is safe. There was a point where I cut off one of the tentacles…he used a body swap jutsu. My Sharingan saw everything. Team Taka has a fake."
Sakura chewed on her finger as she tried to decide whether or not she believed him.
"Our involvement with the Akatsuki was to end once Madara got the Hachibi. Obviously I wasn't going to hand over such power to him. God knows what he'd do with it." He looked at Sakura with a strange emotion in his eyes. "It was never my intention to hurt you or Naruto."
"But you did," she replied dolefully.
He stared at her blankly for a long time, deep into green, green eyes. She returned his gaze with a fire in her eyes. She couldn't help but be mad that Sasuke's eyes were unfamiliar to her, that they weren't his eyes.
"Whose eyes are those?" she asked.
Sasuke's jaw tightened briefly and he felt the muscle below his left eye twitch. Anger and sorrow burned in his chest and he didn't reply.
"They're his aren't they? Itachi's?" Sakura asked cautiously.
Sasuke looked away.
Sakura watched him carefully and knew that his silence was her answer. She turned fully toward him, "I never told you how proud—"
"Stop," Sasuke replied angrily. "Don't say it."
Sakura blinked and then realization dawned on her face. "Something happened…"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Sasuke," her eyes were bright and full of something he hadn't seen in a long time. "I'm so sorry."
He looked at her, his brows drawn together in confusion. "For what?"
She smiled sadly. "For what you've had to endure. You don't deserve the hardships you've been dealt."
He again looked away. "It's not your fault," he whispered. "Don't apologize."
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier about wasting time believing in you." Sakura glanced away briefly as her cheeks flushed. "I didn't mean it…I could never regret the feelings I have for you."
Sasuke's eyes shot back to her. He studied her face, every angle, every curve. There was no fear or anger…just honesty. And he wondered how she could have such blind devotion. What had he done to deserve it? If anything, he deserved to be Sakura's personal battle dummy. Not that he'd ever let it happen, but he knew he had wronged her.
"I missed you," she whispered.
Their eyes locked for a long moment. Sasuke was relentless as he stared into her and Sakura soon grew self-conscious. She sighed and moved to sit beside him.
"Sakura."
"Hm?"
Sasuke turned to look at the bright-eyed girl. "I'm ready to go home."
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Bulla49 who has reviewed every chapter from 1-25. You've been following this from the beginning and have only ever had good to say. Thanks for sticking with "Alone."
I also want to mention a few other people: RavenRose101, Sakura's Indecision, Mistressinwaiting, GaaraHinataWake. Thank you for the numerous reviews you've left me over the course of this story.
Thank you to all reviewers. It means so much to me that you guys leave your thoughts. And as always thanks to Sakura's Indecision for beta-ing. You are awesome.
I hope that this chapter was a good response for those of you who had concerns regarding certain characters. I had no intentions of making Sakura a cry-baby or Sasuke psycho. There's still a lot of story to come...a lot of goodness so keep your eyes open for the next chapter. Love ya! See you next time.