DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.
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Learn me.
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(thump. thump. thump.)
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Savor my tongue,
How it runs down your perspiring chest,
How it slowly delves into your mouth.
I'll do anything for you.
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Tell me what you want my to do,
I swear upon the dead, upon my life,
I'll do it.
I'll become your slave.
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Breath me in. Take me in.
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Let me in.
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Breath. Breath. BREATH!
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You need me, just like I need you.
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(more. more. more.)
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&pleasure ourselves;
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(drip. drip. drip.)
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She was taught eternal vigilance.
So she spoke in a definite tone to her small, worn doll that sat on her lap.
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"They weren't really bad people, but they were sick."
"I wouldn't do that." Tsunade sighed, "You may think of her as a robot now, but—"
"How about, still a human?" Kakashi muttered under his breath. He took another sip of his tea and winced, it was too bitter for his preference.
"Why not? You're a doctor; you should know all about implants and drugs and testings. I think I may have turned her off myself, once." Sasuke then added, "Accidentally." He stared at the crackling fireplace and let his mind wander. "I was...frantic, until I found the place again to turn her back on."
"The little death. The drug helps stimulate things like those. You act like there is some button to turn her on and off...—Well, surprise. There isn't. Sasuke, you might have thought you accidentally turned her off by hitting some nerve, because she collapsed or she fainted or whatever, but, hm..." Tsunade seemed to be thinking out her next words, being a medic is easy when your speaking with other medics, but when it's just other people, the terminology was always hard to translate.
"No. It's more like turning a doll on and off. Tsunade, they've taken Sakura away from..." Sasuke died down for a while, letting an eerie silence replace their conversation. Instead of finishing the sentence, he steered away and continued on with the subject. "They've replaced her with some docile idiot."
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She sits there in her white dress, playing in the mud. He can't decide whether to call her crazy or just plain stupid. So when he walks up to her, he finally finds the words for her.
"You're...distinguished."
She smiles at him and reaches for his hand.
He is curious and reluctantly gives her his hand, expecting her to pull herself up, but what surprises him—
she pulls him down into the mud with her.
"And now you are too!"
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26.
"Your bluntness wounds."
"They destroyed her." Sasuke hissed. "And, now... Now she's losing her past—"
"Those little things are her body relapsing. It's nothing to worry about Sasuke. This whole business of memory—it will all pass, I promise."
Kakashi questioned, "How do you know for sure though? Maybe it does work, for some people—but when they're tampering with minds—it could get worse." He said before taking another sip of the tea. "You said yourself how it became even harder to help her."
All three of them looked up when they heard a door slowly opening, "Shh." Tsunade breathed, waiting to see who it was entering the room. When her eyes rested upon a blond-haired boy, she nodded, beckoning him over here. "It's just Naruto."
"I don't care who it is—Tsunade, that's not the point. Sakura will be nothing but a shell without memories, and they'll reprogram her into whatever they do. They tried once already, they called her No. 1178—that's when they—"
"Your voice, bastard—lower your fucking voice." Naruto groaned, massaging his temple. "I-I'm not used to...not having the pills after I awaken."
Tsunade understood what he was talking about and reassured him. "You had grown dependent on them, I assume. It will take a while to get use to, but knowing someone like you, you'll be fine in...a week...maybe, two."
The Uchiha scoffed. "Shut up, moron. You've had enough sleep already."
Both Naruto and Tsunade sent a glare towards the Uchiha and cursed at him under their breath.
Kakashi's head rested back on the chair's tops, directly facing the ceiling. With his eyes completely closed, he mused to himself aloud, "How did we let this happen, Tsunade?" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "How could we..?"
Naruto's breath hitched. "I-It won't stop. Criminals were first, no one minded it at first, but they took Sakura-chan, then others, then me, then Sasuke, then everyone, then...everyone." He spoke with disbelief, almost like he couldn't even understand what he was saying.
BRAVE NEW WORLD
"You must face up to the fact that Sakura had certain...tendencies and beliefs that could be harmful to the government, along with most of us. Sakura was more open about it, because she is a selfless person. She spoke aloud to save all of you, her hopes that you could save others." Tsunade stared at her drink and even though her throat was tight and dry, she knew she wasn't thirsty.
"But in the end...—everyone's caught in some way." Naruto said sadly.
Tsunade noticed how Sasuke's fists were clenching further, how his black eyes were beginning to become adulterated with red specks. "Calm down, Sasuke. If Sakura was able to save thousands with her sacrifice, maybe everyone could have wanted—"
"The analogy doesn't hold." Kakashi mustered through his tea cup. After finishing his sip, he continued, "Sakura used to be interested and aggressive and very alive. She wanted to change things—she was a constructive person, not a destructive one. To say she had been a radical, maybe it was somewhat true. But, you can't honestly say they had a decent reason to use her. They have uses for demons, blood-lines—things Sakura doesn't have. Many people have excellent chakra control and great medicine techniques, you yourself are outstanding in those measures...—"
"I don't know either, maybe they know something we don't. Maybe, they realized that Sakura possesses great qualities and assets, but she is also connected with to others. Naruto—the Kyuubi. Sasuke—the Sharingan. Kakashi—you've been standing in their way to get to the others." Tsunade stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Naruto began walking back to his room with Sakura, his voice hushed. "Maybe, we're all over-thinking this. We've become so paranoid, we're not thinking clearly. There could be some great 'they' corrupting us—but, we are still managing to run our own lives, aren't we?"
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It's a nightmare—a bittersweet nightmare.
He swears it has to be.
Because when he sees how she sways back and forth on that tree, and how that noose is lightening it's grip every few minutes,
he doesn't believe it.
His candy became his hangman.
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27.
"Damn the state, damn the government, damn everyone." Sasuke breathed. "Just...Just, damn you. I want her fixed. The state and everyone can rot with it's corruption... I... I don't care about that." He was confused, no doubt. Maybe delirious from the previous blood-loss and lack of sleep.
"I just need to save her, goddammit."
Before Tsunade could retort with a snide remark about his selfishness, Sasuke had already disappeared to his room. He really needed some sleep.
You don't have to remember me—
(thump. thump. thump.)
His tongue traces her jawline, until he slowly drops back to her lips.
(breath. breath. BREATH!)
But, help me become like you.
...
(THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!)
Her scent fills his nostrils, her gasps fill his ears.
(BREATH!)
Help me—
(pant. pant. PANT!)
"I love..."
(END OF TRANSMISSION)
—forget.
Sasuke's eyes peaked open and judging by the darkness, he could tell it was close to midnight. What he couldn't understand was why it was so hard to breathe. An unnatural weight was set on top of his groin and torso and a steady stream of hot breath was tickling his naked chest.
He tried to open his mouth to speak, to question what the hell was going on, but he couldn't. He felt completely paralyzed.
"Sasuke-kun..." The silhouette breathed, her head delving down towards him.
He completely flushed when he felt her fingers trickling through his sweaty, raven-colored locks. "S-Sakura!" He hoarsely whispered, shock and horror blatant in his tone. He shivered when he felt how her body was pressed against his. She was...hugging him?
"I want to kiss you, Sasuke-kun." She muttered against his skin, he felt her tongue swiftly flick his flesh and gave an embarrassed shudder.
Sasuke could only be thankful that the room was dark with the fact that he felt a surge of blood flowing to his cheeks. "I..." Sasuke groaned when he felt her fingers now tracing his abdomen. "Sakura, stop this."
"Can I kiss you Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke averted his eyes from their connected bodies, looking at the closed door. "You...—You should go back to bed."
He choked out a surprised gasp when he saw her face inch closer and closer until their noses touched. "You are...scared?" Sakura asked, curious, but before she was able to lift her head and turn to leave, she had already been pinned against the bed.
Something had taken control over Sasuke's paralysis, for he somehow managed to switch their positions, Sakura now underneath him. With his elbows supporting him above her, his face swooped down and he captured her lips.
Sakura gave a breathy moan into his mouth and slowly snaked her arms around his neck. "Sa-Sasuke...kun—" She drawled into his mouth, soon-to-be bruised lips smiling against his own.
Somewhere in that moment, Sasuke felt as though he didn't have to care about the world and it's problems. That he had finally been able to help protect her, and save her and take her and keep her all for himself. Without bothering to ask for permission, he shoved his tongue into her mouth, exploring the tiny crevice. This was all he needed, for her to be there.
To help him forget about everything else and remember them.
Only them.
By the time he had finished memorizing every detail of her mouth and broke apart, she had pulled him flush against her. "Please...Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke's body went limp against hers and his head rested in the nape of her neck. This was what he needed, to have her and forget. Like she did with him.
"I just... I just want to remember everything...—I want to remember everything about you and me."
He said nothing, but his breath hitched in the back of his throat when he felt the vibration of her voice against his chest. "I can feel your heartbeat." She muttered. Even with the thin layer of cotton material diverging between their two bodies, he shuddered ever-so-lightly at the feeling of her lips tickling his warm skin. "It's going thump, thump... Thump, thump, thump..."
For a moment, he couldn't decide whether to respond or try and pretend he was asleep. "Aa." He agreed. Then, with an inward sigh and a gathering of courage, Sasuke finally managed to repeat those words. "I can feel your heart beating as well."
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Tomorrow, she decided that she is going to open a bakery—sweets, pastries, happiness.
For she likes sweets and pastries, and, oh, how she craves happiness.
So when those doors open tomorrow, for all those costumers to enjoy and marvel at her treats, she will have a chance to use all that icing—
to cover up the secret pain.
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28.
She smiled. "Good..."
Without saying anything, Sasuke rolled off of her and looked blankly at the ceiling. Taking in a deep breath, he faced the the wall opposite of her and closed his eyes. He could only regret the fact that he was tired, because he knew, right now, he needed some fresh air.
"...good." She repeated in a minuscule voice. Her already half-lidded eyes slowly, but surely fell to a complete close and her mind drifted off to her very own dreamland.
"So will you help us?" Naruto pleaded. "I want to help Sakura-chan and the bastard and Kakashi-sensei. I swear, I'll do anything. I'll—I'll get on my knee's and worship the ground you walk on...—bow...—kiss your wrinkled feet...—"
"I don't have wrinkled feet!" Tsunade snapped in anguish.
Naruto blinked a few times. "—...right. Tsunade-baa...er... Tsunade, please."
"Naruto..." Tsunade sighed, "It's not that I'm not willing to help. But, listen, you guys are going to have to help me with a few things. Elsewise, all of it will have been a complete waste of time and effort. Think of it as a few...missions."
"Missions?!" Naruto bellowed in joyous awry, "Really?! Baa-chan! I miss them! What? What? What levels are they, what do we need to do?"
"Calm down you brat." Tsunade sighed and massaged her temple rigorously. "Just wait for the rest of your team to get over here."
"Where are they?"
Tsunade's eyes flickered from her nails to the blond-haired boy and she gave a simple smile. "Sakura's picking herbs for me, Sasuke is training, and Kakashi... Well, Kakashi's doing whatever he does in his spare time."
"Masturbating?"
"No!" Tsunade choked, appalled by Naruto's terminology. But, after a few minutes, she paused and changed her mind. "Well... Actually..."
Naruto sighed and stood up from the burgundy chair. Looking around for a few seconds, almost like he was checking his surroundings for traps, he stretched, and began walking towards the door in a dignified manner. "Thanks, baa-chan, I'll see you later."
She was slightly intrigued, because this was Naruto she was talking about. This boy was strange and typical, strong and emotional, something too confusing to understand, but too simple-minded to be left dumbfounded. "Where—?"
"For all I know, Sasuke could be trying to bone Sakura."
He heard Tsunade give an graceless, un-ladylike snort and he laughed along with her.
Before he shut the door completely, he looked back at Tsunade and gave an easy shrug. "I still need to pummel that traitor's ass."
Her fingers softly gripped the stem of the tulip and she gave a light tug. However, her emerald eyes narrowed in frustration when she noticed that the flower didn't follow her movement. Biting her lip and scrunching her nose in annoyance, she gave another tug.
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She is blond; she is her first friend and her first rival.
"From this point on, I wish to ensue my own destiny, please...—"
She smiles handing back the now dried and wilted tulip.
"—don't help me anymore."
The blond can't bring herself to smile. No matter how glad she is that the girl is learning to become independent and strong, she can't bring herself to abide by any of those terms.
"But... I want to help you, Sakura."
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29.
The flower came out abruptly.
Sakura gave one last curious look to the flower's previous origin, but sighed and turned towards the west. Looking up at the further rising sun, she blinked. "How strange..." She mumbled, before setting off to find her next flower.
She had already finished her task about an hour ago, but she never bothered to go back to the house yet. Tsunade's place was spacious, but for some reason she felt so cramped in there, clustered with everyone there. It wasn't as though she didn't like Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Tsunade. It was just uncomfortable when they knew more about her than she knew about herself.
And... Sasuke.
He was being more distant and off-beat in personality than she knew was possible.
That morning, when she had greeted him with a simple good morning and smile, he returned with a grunt and glare. She even stopped by when he was training, asking if he was alright, because he was bleeding; he pushed her away from him and told her to stay away.
Inside her head, she reluctantly admitted to him being scary. Horrifying, to be more precise.
But, no matter how scary and horrifying and unnerving and intimidating he was—
He was captivating and alluring and mesmerizing and beguiling.
She came to a completely halt when she saw a vermilion red tulip before her feet. Bending down and letting another smile appear on her face, she gripped it's stem with her forefingers and yanked up.
Nothing.
She tried once again, using a stronger pull, and slowly, oh so slowly, it came out of the ground with vex.
"H-Hm..." Sakura wondered in curiosity. Was it that she wasn't giving enough of a pull the first time or were these flowers some strange hybrid—
At the sound of shuffling before her anesthetized body, she shut her eyes in great trepidation.
"Well, well, I never though I'd see you again..."
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A boy sits there in the dank room, cold and shivering. The saline acts as a glue, helping his bangs stick to his face and cover his despondent eyes. He picks up the small piece of sandstone that was lying next to his bare foot and smashes it against the wall. He sees it's imprint and a worn smile appears on his face.
"This is how I will be remembered."
He scratches, and he doodles and scribbles and inscribes his life's novel onto the black wall.
Pictures are worth thousands of words.
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30.
"...ugly."
A/N: This is so baller, I bet Chuck Norris reads it.
Reviews make me write. (:
EWHH its Kenna