Lost Year
Remembering!
Don't worry about people in your past.
There's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
"I, have a change of plans."
Kakuzu and Orochimaru stood there in the dark cave, their expression remained impassive but their minds and ears are completely ready for the leader.
"In a few days time, we'll be welcoming a new member to join Akatsuki." The Rinnegan turned to Kakuzu through the mind communication. "Although this doesn't concern you much, the search for Sasori is ceased because I don't want to waste anymore time."
Orochimaru slightly widened his eyes in the dark cave, watching the projection of the leader fading slightly every time he made a move. The leader's eyes, that was the only thing visible, turned towards Orochimaru and glared.
"In four days, I'll contact you and you'll join up with your new partner. Do not make any funny moves until I tell you so."
"At least let me know his name." Orochimaru sneered.
"Kisame." And in that second, the projection gave a buzzing noise and it disappeared.
The snake man gave a snort and watched Kakuzu walking off and towards a corner. It made Orochimaru wonder why didn't he attack even when they were not even a hundred meters away from each other.
A small smirk appeared on his lips as he gave his usual sly look at Kakuzu.
"What do you think? Strangling or stabbing him would be a better method of killing?"
Kakuzu didn't bother to reply or answer. He continued to walk until he reached till the corner and placed his suitcase on a convenient rock right beside him.
Not satisfied, Orochimaru continued. "I'm referring to Sasori, if you don't know what I'm talking about."
He calmly turned and sat his jade colored pupil on Orochimaru who still had this sinister smirk on his face. "I don't care."
"I know you wouldn't." Orochimaru licked his lips as his eyes glint with evilness. "I'm just telling you so you could mourn for them when they die."
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and glared. "I suggest you watch your words."
"Watch what? I'm speaking the truth anyway." The ex-Konoha nin gave a relaxed look and right at that moment, his body started to turn into flames. "But I won't betray you of course, who knows, we can be friends in the future." With his last words spoken, he was totally engulfed in flames as he disappeared in the still air within the cave.
Kakuzu scoffed. He started to make a couple of complicated seal as a hole gradually appeared right in the middle of the wall and inside, there were more of those similar suitcases he had with him. The bounty hunter lifted the case from the rock and snapped the lock open, placing the base of the case on his arm.
He paused for a moment and stared at the money that was neatly arranged in the suitcase. Those were the money he got for exchanging both Sasori and Sakura. Some emotions swirled within him, but he completely shut them off as he forced himself to remember how the people he respect and treasure betrayed him without even sparing a thought for him.
Blinking slowly, he took the cover of the case and snapped it shut before putting it neatly into the small secret hole. He then made a couple of different complicated hand signs and the hole slowly disappeared, his money now safely hidden in the Akatsuki base.
No sympathy, no empathy.
Those were the taboos for a Shinobi to have.
Just apathy.
0o0
The rain had stopped hours ago and the gray clouds were cleared, leaving the bright sun burning up the ground with its maximum heat.
Tsunade smiled, taking the herbs from Sakura's hand and checked it briefly before nodding her head. "That's it, it's the correct one."
"Where's Sasori?" Shizune glanced around with a puzzled look on her face. Before Sakura could open her mouth to answer, the young medic's question was soon answered.
"You damn woman." Sasori came out from a large bush and approached the master in medical skills, shoving some familiar looking leaves and took the ones from Tsunade's hand to compare.
Her eyes slowly trailed down, lower down his nose and on… on his lips.
"I found them less than a hundred meter away from our meeting place. And there's like a field of them..." Sasori's rants were still carrying on.
Those lips…
Sakura squeaked, literally, and her face became red in an instant as she sheepishly looked away. Shizune looked aback as she narrowed her eyes and watched Sakura suspiciously.
"Sakura." Tsunade gave a stop sign right in front of Sasori's face, ignoring more blunt comments about how fat her palm was and just focused on the pinkette." Did you just give a squeak sound?"
Sasori turned to stare at Sakura who was trying to find something to stare at, but all the image of the redhead were appearing at every corner she was trying to focus on. She shook her head roughly and nodded her head to Tsunade's question. "Sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry for anything. I just didn't know someone like you could squeak like that."
"Yeah…" Sakura decided she should just close her eyes so she would stop acting stupid.
"Er…?" Shizune blinked dumbly.
"Oh." Tsunade smirked, before a light chortle escaped from her lips as she put down her hand. She turned to gaze at Sasori with that teasing look, those that everyone would give when their friend's crush was nearby.
"What." Sasori spat.
"Nothing."
"What are you going to do with these herbs?" Sasori returned back to the conversation they were talking about earlier.
"This could help the soup you're brewing to smell fragrant and taste nicer."
"Do we even have the time to brew soups in the middle of a random forest?"
"But we always have some time to blossom a relationship."
Sakura flung open her eyes and stared widely at Tsunade. Sasori did the same too, although his were showing a calmer reaction. Shizune stifled a small giggle even though she knew they were in an awkward situation.
"I'm a little hungry now." Shizune grumbled, rubbing her flat stomach.
"We'll go hunt some animals," Tsunade said to Shizune swiftly while the redhead stormed off and just sat on the ground, "even though this should be a man's job." She coughed loudly and turned away from Sasori who was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed and the entire surrounding blocked away from his mind. The blonde rolled her eyes and softly patted on the two other girls' back and pushed them towards the forest direction.
"Let's go and leave that faggot alone so he could spend some time realizing how stupid he is."
0o0
Deciding to admit she's quite old to hunt for animals and letting the other two girls to hunt for the food, Tsunade leisurely strolled back to the small clearing they were resting at and watched Sasori who was drawing some weird arrows and mathematical problems with a stick on the ground sand. After she approached him to get a clearer view, the redhead stopped what he was doing and threw the branch on the ground.
"I knew it." He muttered, glancing up at the blonde who was giving a weird look as if he was drunk.
"Don't look at me like that."
"I wouldn't if we aren't near the borders of the Wind village."
Tsunade smirked and gave a slow sigh. "You're smart, even if I don't want to admit it." She stared down at the ground and scanned through the sand drawing of a map and the rough calculation of where they were.
Sasori stood up swiftly, his eyes still fixated at Tsunade. "Don't you ever dare to-"
"You should settle down with Sakura and ask for her hand in marriage."
"…What?"
"And then you could be the Kazekage…"
Sasori narrowed his eyes and glared, his stern and unpleasant eyes pierced right into Tsunade's, daring her to continue.
"Annoying."
Tsunade smirked and closed her eyes. "I know plenty of wise and young looking man back in my village, still single and active. I wouldn't mind introducing Sakura to them."
"Do I look like I care?"
"So you don't mind?"
"Why would I? Old hag."
A vein popped out on her temple as she squinted her eyes and stared at the man a little shorter than her, with her hands on her waist.
"What did you say, young man?" She said in a low, dangerous yet soothing voice with a small smile on her face.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called out. By her side was the pinkette, carrying a few food supplies with a weird look on her face.
"What are you two doing?" Sakura asked.
"Oh, we were talking about how wonderful you are." Tsunade wrapped her heavy arms over Sasori small shoulder, enhancing more chakra to add on her arm. He gritted his teeth but tried to remain as calm as possible.
Sakura inclined her head to a side and pointed to herself. "Me?"
"Marriage."
Sakura blushed again. "What marriage are you talking about?"
"Obviously you and Sasori." Shizune raised her eyebrows and wiggled them.
If it wasn't for Tsunade's effort in suppressing his movement with her weight, he could have just thrown his chakra strings and forced Shizune to slap herself.
0o0
"I'm leaving Shizune under your care now, Sakura."
"Where are you going?" Sakura whispered, glancing at Shizune who was sleeping under the dark sky. It was pass midnight and Sasori, who was about to change his shift with Sakura, woke up to find the other two woman having an exchange. He stood up from his comfort zone and approached the two of them.
"It's a small matter." Tsunade gave an assuring smile as she glanced at Sasori before looking back at Sakura. "I may be back around 2 or 3 days. I didn't want to go this afternoon because I knew Shizune will never let me go alone."
"No problem." Sakura nodded her head in response.
"I'll be leaving her in your care. She's a stubborn kid when she gets a little cranky."
Sasori scoffed. "She's cranky everyday."
"…" Tsunade gave a blank look before a huge smile plastered on her face. "I know right." She agreed. Sakura's jaw dropped.
"There isn't any more time, I'll be going." The blonde just stepped away and left, leaving the two near adult Shinobi with a young teenager who was still sleeping like a child.
"Why do I have such a déjà vu feeling?" Sakura gave a soft laugh.
"Remember that kid we took care before? This brat is just like her despite the age difference."
Sakura closed her eyes and started remembering a few childish moments she had with Shizune even when she was almost twice the age of Sakura's in the future. The memoires were then changed to the little girl Sakura took when her mother died; Shana.
"It's my shift now, you can go and take a rest." Sasori found a perfect position and sat down, his legs crossed and his hands resting on his legs. Sakura just watched him from the position she was standing before she walked towards him and sat behind him, resting her back on his.
"I'm not tired anymore." She tried not to let herself look stupid by holding that loud yawn she was about to give. "We can stay up all night to talk."
"Talk?"
"Yup."
"There's a question I have been wanting to ask for a very long time." Sasori glanced at the sleeping figure of the teenage girl before looking back a little at Sakura to see if she was listening.
"What is it?" Sakura blinked, not realizing Sasori was taking the "talking" session so seriously.
"You hate Orochimaru." Sasori's tone got a little more serious. "Why?"
"Why?" Sakura mumbled, her eyes became distant.
The previous reason was fading… Another has formed…
"I will stop you" Orochimaru's face started to blur as her vision turned towards Sasori who was standing near her during the wreckage of the hotel. "And I will stop you from joining them!"
"Sakura."
Orochimaru is going to take Sasori away.
Just like Sasuke.
I will kill him if he does…
"Sakura?"
"Hm?" The said girl turned and stared at the redhead who was looking at her with a weird look.
"You were in daze."
Sakura easily laughed it off and continued even though Sasori was still giving her that weird look. "The question you asked, about why I hate Orochimaru…"
She had her answer, the real answer that was completely different from the reason why she even agree to time travel in the first place, but…
"Uchiha clan. Heard of them?"
"Sharingan. They were pretty well-respected by most of the people from many country."
"Yup." Sakura tried to give a proud look, but her lips were starting to quiver instead. "Not until 8 years later when a member massacred the entire clan, leaving only his little brother alive."
Sasori widened his eyes and straightened his posture, but Sakura easily adjusted her position to lie comfortably on Sasori's back before continuing in the calmest tone she could handle. "His name is Itachi, who would be joining the Akatsuki in the future. Sasuke, his younger brother, is my teammate who left the village with Orochimaru to kill his brother for revenge."
"Orochimaru? Wasn't he…"
"With the information I have, I'm not too sure at the moment. But a while after Orochimaru was defected from Akatsuki, he caused Sasuke to become a person who only lust for power and hatred, changing him into someone I don't know anymore."
Sasori was in silence, his mind slowly registering the things Sakura just told him.
"So here I am, trying to stop you from cooperating with Orochimaru, who would soon gained power through using a person who you sent to spy on him. So all I am doing it trying to stop Orochimaru from getting more power, and taking Sasuke away."
"There should be other ways to change it. Why did you choose this?" Sasori rest his head on Sakura. His soft hair brushing and tickling Sakura's hair as well, she felt so comfortable when he was doing that.
He sounds just like an innocent child.
"I don't know actually…" She grinned and rest the back of her head onto Sasori's back looked up, watching a few stars flickering in the dark sky. "I really don't know… But all I know is that I want to save them by myself, even if they don't know I exist, I want my life to impact theirs."
Sakura inwardly sighed. "If getting strong by training everyday is not enough, in exchange of my life with their new future is worth it."
"But you'll return to the future where nothing is the same again." Sasori frowned, not really liking the idea. "The friends you loved possibly doesn't know you if the future were to change."
"Of course it would be a terrible feeling to realize the person you love and care with all your heart doesn't knew you existed. But if you really love the person you cared for, you wouldn't have mind to have them enjoying their happiness just to let yourself suffer a little."
Sasori gave an understanding look as he gazed forward, avoiding all means to talk about anything regarding to Sakura's departure. Sakura seemed to sense what he was thinking too, so she remained silent and stared at the silent sky.
"Hn. You knew so much about me," Sasori narrowed his eyes in displeasure, "it would be fair if you were to tell me more about yourself."
Sakura gave a slight giggle, "I'll tell you the things that I remembered the most, I'm not good at memorizing things." Sakura blinked slowly and inwardly counting the number of stars. "I was just seven when my best friend gave me this ribbon…"
0o0
It was the third day since Tsunade left without mentioning anything or where she had gone. Shizune, who had been travelling with her master for so long was slightly worried for her safety since she was never away from her for so long. Sakura tried to remain as calm as Sasori but she was getting a little flustered too.
"Do you think something happened to Tsunade-sama?" Shizune bit her fingernail, her brows furrowed.
"She could have gone to get some sake."
"It's been long since she drank sake." Shizune's attention was drawn to Sakura who was staring blankly at her. "How do you know she have the same habit as any drunkard?"
"Er…" Sakura darted her eyes left and right.
"She's a medic for God' sake." Sasori rolled his eyes at Shizune, his arms crossed over his chest while leaning against a tree. "She's not a child. She'll know how to take care of herself."
"You don't even care for her, so you have no rights to say anything!" Shizune stuck out her tongue. "If it was Sakura who has been missing for three days, I don't even think you'll be standing her and saying all these things."
"I admit I wouldn't." Sasori said, and Sakura awarded him with a blink in surprise. "But at least I wouldn't whine about it."
"Bastard. I still hate you even if you grilled fishes for me to eat." She gave a huffed and slumped onto the floor with her arms crossed. After a while, she started to draw Sasori uglily on the ground and emphasized to Sakura that she was drawing Sasori, not that he actually cared about it at all. After all, deep in his thought, he was mentally stabbing Shizune in the stomach with the stick she was using to draw, so you could say they were pretty much even for being evil.
0o0
It has been a long night. Without Tsunade's presence, both Sakura and Sasori had to take longer shifts to keep a lookout. Shizune was a deep sleeper; even if a war to happen, she might not even know. Only when the sun rises then she would wake up on her own, so the three of them would usually do the shift instead.
Currently it was Sasori's turn. When on guard duty, he just expected silence and no movement in the place he was guarding. But the fact that Sakura had been tossing and turning was a little distracting for Sasori. He didn't really mind about it, but he was wondering why couldn't she sleep when Sakura always seemed so tired lately.
"Can't sleep?" Sasori gave a sidelong glance and stared at the pinkette who was staring at the sky, deep in thought.
The said girl blinked, immediately disrupted form her thoughts. She stared briefly at the redhead and answered. "No, I'm about to." She then closed her eyes and turned to the other side, her back facing him.
Sasori remained staring at Sakura's back as he shifted his gaze away and just stared at the ground before him. He always thought if he were to use just a little skill and thinking, he could unveil Sakura's emotion and understood what she was thinking with her actions. But for a few times these days, he was unable to do so.
He sighed inwardly, closing his eyes as he tried to rest himself and replenish his chakra while taking note of the surrounding for any intruder.
Silence carried on, a soft snore would sometimes come from Shizune, but would immediately stop when there was a shift in her movement. As for Sakura, she doesn't dare to move much in her sleep, or even daring to sleep either since she was thinking about many things that were happening to her lately. Not just because she was worrying about what would happen to Sasori if she were to leave him all alone once she departed and go back to her own world, she was also puzzled about certain health problems that was starting to happen to her a few days before her big kiss day.
She would often feel a sharp pain in her chest that lasted for a few seconds when she moved all of the sudden, not just at night. Her breath would sometimes hitch and her vision would get very blur when she was walking on a normal road.
Sakura tried to recall if the symptoms she had was some effects for some illnesses she studied with Tsunade in the future, but she couldn't find an answer.
Neither did the Fairy-God Father reply when she questioned him about it too.
Author's Note:
A chapter with not much of the plot or romance parts. Just some random days passed for them. You could say this chapter is unnecessary, but it just helps with the flow of the story.
Lost Year is ending really soon, in a chapter or two. But most probably just one chapter though.
Happy or Sad ending? I have decided that, but you can always guess how I'm gonna end this story. And if I were to find your idea is interesting, I would be glad to write an alternate ending for it.
And I'm so sorry for the slow and short update! I've been focusing too much time on humans who called themselves as my friends. The reviewers that previously reviewed are loved! I'm not really expecting much reviews for this chapter, as it seemed nothing much even happened here.