Sasuke watched with mixed emotions as Sakura walked towards a spinning Hyuga Neji. Was she insane? She had just tried the same thing, and had gotten her ass kicked!
His grip on the tree hardened, splitting the rough bark and forcing splinters into his skin. But Sasuke didn't notice. His eyes were still fixed on the med nin, raising her fist back further and charging it with bright, green chakra.
He couldn't watch her get hurt again.
Not again.
He would do terrible things to the Hyuga if he hurt her again. Then he would turn his attention to Kakashi. Why was their sensei allowing this… this madness?
Horrified, he watched Sakura close the small space, and connect her super strong fist with Neji's dome of chakra. The same bright light appeared, followed by a horrifying screech, but the Uchiha knew it wasn't Sakura who had made that noise.
It was ferociously shrill, worse than anything any human was capable of. Sasuke felt himself losing control .There was a heat radiating through his body that made the small hairs on his arms ache. He felt as if his skin was aflame, eyes still busy searching the bright light for some sign of Sakura.
"Sasuke, its fine, you need to calm down, "the raven haired ninja spun around at the sound of his sensei's voice. There stood Kakashi, one of his hands nonchalant in his pocket, while the other almost looked like it had frozen in mid air, about to touch Sasuke.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight of Kakashi's shocked expression. Sasuke answered with a snarl, his tensed muscles causing his shoulders to shake.
"Look, Sasuke!" he listened, tearing his eyes from the silver haired jounin to the training grounds below, where Neji laid on the ground, out of breath and still. Sasuke's eyes focused, taking in every single blade of grass, every fallen drop of blood and sweat.
He felt the burning again, followed by a cool, familiar feeling which started in his gut and raced to his eyes, relieving his body of the burning sensation.
"Sakura…," he mumbled, finally catching sight of the familiar pink ninja, kneeling in the soft grass. She was hunched over, gasping in air as if she was about to drown. Sasuke was by her side before she could even take her third breath of air.
Sasuke froze.
He knew this answer.
He had known for months. Ever since that fateful day.
But to be asked, in this same emotionless, nonchalant voice. With that tension still riddled through her shoulders. And those eyes. Those eyes and how they seemed to have him pinned in place, ready to examine each shift he made.
He sighed, for the first time in his life he didn't know how to answer. The go-to reply of "you're annoying" came to mind, but he knew better. This wasn't the time for that. She wasn't that person anymore.
"For wanting to talk, you sure as hell are quiet, "she smiled at him, her eyes losing some of their hard edge.
"Listen, it seems like you don't really know how to integrate yourself into Team 7 anymore. Things have become rusty over the years, I know that. But we need to figure this out, or we are useless as a team."
Integrate himself into Team 7? Actually, Sasuke's teamwork with their blonde comrade had never been better. They finally matched in ability, and even speed. Plus, the dobe had gotten over his hyper activeness, making the two boys the ideal two man group.
"No, I have no problem with Team 7, "Sasuke watched confusion cross Sakura's face, "It's just you that I am having problems with."
"Psh, please, you can't honestly single me-"
"Sakura! Ever since I came back to Konoha you have been giving me the cold shoulder! What's your problem?" he was yelling.
He didn't care. She was finally paying attention to the situation, and now that he voiced the obvious problem between them, he could see her logical mind working through the truth.
"What's your problem, Sakura?" quieter this time. Yelling can't resolve this situation. She shook her head, her eyes averting away from him, losing interest in the conversation.
No. That wasn't it.
She was thinking about changing the subject.
"For Kami's sake, spit it out!"
"Fine! You tried to kill Naruto! Not just Naruto, but also Kakashi, and … and…" he watched as her hands fell into her lap, her eyes focusing on them.
"And you?" he finished her sentence, the words cutting through the silence setting the air on fire. She still refused to look at him.
"Uchiha Sasuke, please come in!"
Oh how he hated Tsunade's voice. Sasuke entered the Hokage's office, scanning the room before taking a knee in front of the 5th. He was in trouble. Tsunade didn't use that voice for anything else.
"Uchiha Sasuke, I have received reports from various ANBU members about your disregard to my direct order, "Sasuke looked up, his eyes already narrowed in confusion.
What was she talking about? When the hell did he break one of her direct orders?
"Hokage-sama?" he asked, still confused. The blonde leader of the Hidden Leaf stood from her chair, jerking her head to the side in a way to signal Sasuke to stand and follow her to the window.
Sasuke's eyes drifted to the silent jounin in the corner, who lifted his one visible eyes just long enough to look at Sasuke, before returning it to the book grasped in his hands.
"Kakashi told me about the incident today at the training grounds, "Tsunade's voice was soft, as if she was trying to have a private conversation with him. He grunted. Was it just him or did the air suddenly get thick?
"He said you had some problem controlling your anger, "now her voice was smug. She knew.
For Kami's sake she knew.
"What happened, Sasuke?"
The Uchiha shifted his weight, now moving his eyes to the other jounin in the room, whose uninterested stance and bored frown foretold just how much he didn't care to be here. Why was Nara Shikamaru here?
"I was going to my usual training ground to exercise, but found Sakura there with Kakashi-sensei and the Hyuga. I watched from the trees. That's it. I didn't break any of your orders."
Tsunade turned her head towards Kakashi, her delicate features furrowed with a questioning look. Kakashi shrugged before shaking his head.
Something was going on, and Sasuke hated not knowing.
Knockknockknock
The four shinobi turned their heads towards the door, only Tsunade spoke a gentle "Come in". The door opened slowly revealing a panicked looking Shizune.
"Hokage-sama, I have terrible news!" she bowed shortly before sparing a quick glance to the other people in the room. Said Hokage perked up, and something about the sudden alertness in her made Sasuke uneasy.
This couldn't be good.
"It's about Sakura…"
What a stupid, stupid woman Sakura was.
Had she not heard him apologize? Had she not thought him sincere? Now, thinking back, Sasuke understood the distance Sakura had been keeping between the two of them. He had, after all, tried to kill her and those dear to her.
"But that… I wasn't myself back then, Sakura. I was overtaken by revenge; you can't hold that against me! Naruto doesn't, and I tried to kill him a lot.." he stopped himself there, but it was too late. He was proving her point.
He was pathetic. How could he have ever believed that living in Konoha could be normal? Not anymore, not after everything he had done to the village.
Sasuke sighed once more, suddenly feeling tired and confused. Maybe he shouldn't have come back? Maybe it would have been best for everybody involved if he would have stayed a missing nin.
But Naruto had never complained about his return, neither had Kakashi.
"Why is it that Kakashi and Naruto can forgive me, but you can't?" Now it was her who sighed. He noticed that her cheeks lost some of their color, but nevertheless, she made eye contact and answered.
"It's because they didn't confess their love to you."
"What happened?" It was Kakashi who spoke first, which told Sasuke one thing: Tsunade already knew.
"What happened?!" this time it was Sasuke, but his version of the question held more of a threat then curiosity. He searched Tsunade's face for any give away, but her mouth was in a hard line. He moved his attention to Shizune, whose worry stricken face did nothing to calm his mood.
"Tell me what happened!"
"You need to calm down, Sasuke," Shikamaru's voice came from behind him. Kakashi moved as well, his book missing in action.
Sasuke felt the same heat fill his body. With his eyes focused on Shizune's face, he felt everything around him turn black. What the hell was going on? They were all wasting time while something terrible had happened to Sakura!
He wanted to tear at something. He wanted to make something, ANYTHING miserable! His entire body clenched up as he watched his sensei approach, moving his body between Sasuke and the Hokage.
The heat was getting worse. In Sasuke's mind, he could imagine all the ways 'Terrible' could be explained in the shinobi world.
Did they not hear him? He needed to know what had happened!
"Where is she?" He growled again, but his voice was so deep it was almost gone.
"This was the same thing that happened earlier, Hokage, "Kakashi noted, his voice calm and level, but his sharingan exposed and spinning wildly.
Red hot pain gave way to the same soothing coolness Sasuke felt before. It traveled through his body like cold water on hot skin.
"He is… he broke through the chakra block we put on him, "it was Shizune, soon followed by an approving nod from Tsunade.
"Sasuke, you need to calm down, right now, "it was Shikamaru again, his calm voice infuriating Sasuke even more.
"He is right; you are probably doing some severe damage to your chakra systems."
He didn't hear Tsunade. How could they all be so calm? Even Shizune looked normal now, besides that calculating gaze all medical ninja had.
"What the hell is going on!" he spun around to face the Hokage and Kakashi since he was still blocking her with his body.
Sasuke was silent. He didn't really know how to respond to that. She had confessed her love, and even though Sasuke had brushed it off as the gibberish of a girlish crush, he had thought about it a lot. Replayed it in his mind a lot.
"Sakura, I… we… it just wasn't the right time. I had to take care of my brother first," he watched as her eyebrows pulled together, confusion settling once more in her face. It was just a quick moment, but then she snorted, shook her ahead, and straightened her back.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Sasuke, "she giggled awkwardly, "I am not trying that again. I realized after a few weeks of you leaving, that ninja aren't meant to have love in their live. My only goal right now is to assist Naruto, and to help him in any way I can. That's all I want anymore."
What? Bring her in…?
The door creaked open and a confused Sakura poked her head in.
"Tsunade-taichou, you called for me?" she stepped in, her eyes immediately focusing on Sasuke.
Involuntarily, his eyes swept over her body and took in all the tears in her clothes where cuts had been earlier. No doubt her chakra levels had to be near to empty by now.
She was alright.
They had lied. She was fine.
His body relaxed, the cool feeling dropping off him like a heavy weight. It became easier to breathe again, and the ringing in his ears had stopped.
"Nara, what do you make of this?" the Hokage nodded her head to the Uchiha, but kept her eyes on the genius.
"Well, even though it's troublesome, it seems like Sasuke is pretty protective of his team mate. He broke through his chakra restraints without even noticing. Am I right, Kakashi?" a quick nod from the silver haired sharingan user, "And he activated his sharingan, also without noticing, suggesting that he-"
"Nara." The threatening growl came from Sasuke's throat.
"What's going on, Sasuke?" she was still confused. He would tell her, but not now. And he didn't want her to find out from anybody else. He had to tell her.
That's all she wanted anymore…
Sasuke swallowed hard. Had he heard her right? Yes, no doubt. He needed to tell her. It was now or never.
He had to speak up now or be silent forevermore.
Hello my darlings!
No! It's not the end!
Siiiigh
I have decided to make this story between 3-5 chapters. I dont really know how long exactly, but while writing it i figured out that I want to put some more into this story.
Also, some people brought to my attention that they would enjoy some lemony-goodness...
well... ;)
haha. wait and see!