DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.
.::.Memorize me.::.
...
In (the end), the only two people
that (will matter to me)
is you
me.
...
The world is changing.
and so am I.
Please, jump, jump, jump;
(and teach me how to fly.)
...
...
Take in the world.
...
Once upon a time,
there was a boy
and a girl
both fragile creatures.
...
...
Breath. Breath. BREATH!
...
(too :: fragile)
for the likes of such a
. B
. R
. A
. V
.. N E W
-—-—O
-—-—R
-—-—L
-—-—D
...
&train ourselves;
...
(drip. drip. drip.)
...
In a world of angels;
::and one of demons::
are the flightless ones.
They die tonight,
(but are reborn tomorrow).
...
-&-
...
"I'm living in a heartless, heartless dream."
He pressed his cold fingertips against her warm skin. Slowly, the Uchiha traced her jawline, examining every waking detail of exposed skin. The girl's chest heaved up and down, up and down—and he almost found it was too slow for his liking. Lowering his dark lashes and twisting his lips in a pensive matter, he got up from his crouching position and looked towards the single, circular window.
Glowering, Sasuke stalked up to the window and examined the large body of water that surrounded him. If he was calculating correctly, since they left about seventeen hours ago, they should be in Waterfall's territory in approximately two to three hours. Sasuke's ears perked at the shuffling noise that was coming from behind him. With his curiosity slightly ignited, the Uchiha turned around to see what Sakura could possibly be doing.
The girl was blinking, rapidly. Her vermilion lips fell ajar for a moment, before quickly shutting; this action was repeated several times. Sasuke was taken by surprise when the girl shot to her feet without a moment's notice.
(ALARM . . . . ALARM . . . . ALARM . . . . ALARM)
"No. 451, targets in the vicinity." Sasuke tried his best to mask his confusion; it was that same dead tone he had become accustomed to, long ago. "Repeat. No. 451, target in the vicinity."
"Sakura, shut up." Sasuke snapped. "I don't sense anything."
(Targets . . . . 45° . . . . 72° . . . . 33°)
Sasuke stomped up to the kneeling girl, reached down, and squeezed her cheeks, guiding her face to his, as well as bringing her back to reality. "Ignore it." He growled. "The only way to overcome those thoughts, to ignore your imagination...is to disregard them."
Her head tilted and her dull green eyes brightened. Giving a confused look, she blinked again. "What happened?" She asked curiously.
Sasuke sighed with obvious anger to her question. "Nothing..."
"Sasuke-kun?"
"...nothing." He whispered again, finally freeing her head and walking towards the door. "Stay in here and rest." She could almost sense the threat that was underlying his tone. It seemed he was in no mood to deal with her and her antics.
But before Sakura could protest to his departure, the door slammed shut.
"Hmph!" Sakura sung, crossing her arms. The pink-headed girl stood up and walked towards the window she saw Sasuke previously at. "I wonder what you're always thinking about, you weirdo." Her breath hitched when she noticed something floating in the water. "Wha—?"
A bundle of bleach blond and a tan color floating—actually, sinking—next to it.
"Are you alright?" She whispered to the empty room, hoping that it would reach whatever was sinking in the ocean.
("There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms.")
...
...
...
It's weird.
Because he is a human, but he resembles a statue.
His face is so placid that it scares her. She has never once understood how he could maintain such a calm composure, so emotionless.
But, no matter how scared she is when he doesn't respond—
It's the epitome of fear, when she finally sees him cry.
"I'm sorry."
...
...
36.
(A flash of a blond hair, sapphire eyed woman, who was sticking her tongue out.)
"I...I need to save her!" Sakura yelled, pounding the window and crying.
(Analysing . . . . 1/4 of lung capacity filled with water, growing at a steady rate of .402/minute.)
And the last thing Sakura could remember was the shattering of glass and the feeling of being submerged into the water.
Naruto was leaning against the wall humming an unknown tune when he heard the large splash. He was forced back into the world the moment he heard Kakashi drop his book and another large splash.
"That fucking idiot!" Sasuke shouted, sprinting to the sidelines of the boat. His onyx eyes were scanning every wave and every speck of foam, searching for the girl.
"Sakura...chan?" Naruto barked, readying himself to dive off of the boat. "Sakura-chan!"
The moment the blond-haired boy's feet were off the ground, he was yanked back towards the Uchiha. "Moron, get back here. Kakashi's already after her." Sasuke ordered, and with his free hand, he pointed to a speck of pink and silver.
Sasuke was taken by surprise, however, when he noticed that Sakura wasn't even in the water, nor was she drowning in it; but, she was standing atop of it.
"I thought she didn't know how to use her chakra..." Naruto mused aloud.
Sasuke numbly nodded.
"Maybe there is some use for that forehead of her's."
Sasuke twitched in annoyance when he watched one of the crew members eagerly give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the blond-haired woman. She had a name, she was Sakura's friend, but Sasuke was never one for names—
("From this day on, I am no longer your friend—but, your rival.")
"Ino..." Sakura whispered into the wind.
("I give up. Y...You are the one who deserves Sasuke-kun.")
Naruto's eyes widen and Kakashi lazily looks up at the girl's silhouette. "You remember?"
Sakura looks back up at the two. "H-Huh?" She laughed, "Remember what?"
"You just said her name." Sasuke reminded her. He folded his arms across his chest and glares disapprovingly at the small girl.
Sakura blinked a few more times and finally shook her head. "I did?"
"Aa."
Sakura walked towards Kakashi and spread her arms wide apart. "I get these...images," Sakura paused in her speech and suddenly hugged Kakashi who, after a few minutes, returned the hug, "they appear in my mind—but they go. I see them, b-but... I don't know!" Sakura tightened her hold on Kakashi and choked out a hiccuped breath.
"Sakura..." Sasuke stated in a bland tone, signaling for her to go on; but, Kakashi could hear the threat Sasuke was sending him.
Kakashi took the opportunity to have poke some fun at the Uchiha. He grinned beneath his mask, before patting Sakura on the head in a loving manner. "Go on, sweetie."
Sasuke glared at his former teacher and commented dryly, "Fucking pedophile."
Kakashi ignored his comment.
Sakura shrugged and giggled at Kakashi's actions. "Well, it's like..." Her voice trailed off for a few minutes as she glanced at the resting blond. "I have to grab the memories as they race past me, but I can't usually catch them." She then muttered some incoherent speech before finally returning to the conversation.
"My mind fills with an image for a second—maybe two. It's a flash, like an eye or a smile or a scene or, or...a person."
Naruto beamed. "You've seen me, right?"
"Mm." Sakura nodded. "But, I usually hear a voice—a sentence. And...that's it." Sakura's bangs lowered with her face. "That's...it."
Kakashi loosened his hold on Sakura and tilted his head towards the darkening clouds. "You're making progress." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone, yet it was filled with an obvious hope and compassion. "And progress is good."
Naruto stared at his fading team.
"We never really paid much attention, to the tide that swept us away from each other..."
...
...
...
Maybe, if life were different, he could have stayed, and he could have been happy and smiled and laughed and married and had kids with her.
But, that's what he has always hated.
The fact that maybes were just about as reliable as the matters of the heart.
For neither one of them would ever happen.
...
...
37.
The blond-haired boy looked at Sasuke, who was now leaning over the boat's side, lost in his own world.
"...and into the achromatic ocean."
Sasuke's vigilantly perked his head when he sensed two chakra signals coming towards their boat. Lifting up his right hand, he made several hand signals to Naruto, who only gave a perplexed expression. "Idiot." Sasuke scowled as his eyes bled red. "There are two coming from the south—wait...one more—there's three...coming from...—"
(Targets . . . . 45° . . . . 72° . . . . 33°)
Sasuke frowned and his brows knit tightly together.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt the cool blade of a kunai against his neck.
"Sasuke-kun—!" He heard Sakura gasp, before it died into a quick, abrupt silence.
A cool voice answered the silent question. "Where is she, Uchiha?" The tone sounded annoyed, almost tired.
The raven-haired boy opened his mouth to question how the hell he knew his name; but, by the time his sharingan flashed on and he turned around, the words were useless. "Shikamaru?" Sasuke said in an almost amused voice.
Said boy shrugged and turned his head to Sakura, then to Naruto. "I thought they were captured." He mused aloud.
"Hn." Sasuke was aggravated that Shikamaru hadn't loosened the pressure of the kunai against his throat. He couldn't blame him though, this was a time where you couldn't trust anyone—and Sasuke had already given everyone from his past a reason not to trust him.
"Where is Ino?" Shikamaru demanded.
Sasuke shrugged. "Sleeping."
"Thanks to who?"
"Sakura." He said. The Uchiha eyed the boy, before he finally lowered the kunai himself. Pointing to the cabin several feet behind them, he finally commented, "Take her and leave."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. He was jolted out of his thoughts when Sasuke had shoved him off, causing him to stumble a few feet backwards.
"Shikamaru!" Another voice called out. "What should we do with Ino—she's unconscious?"
It was Naruto's turn to answer. Hooking an arm around the large kid's neck, Naruto grinned sheepishly. "It's been forever since I've seen you guys!" He exclaimed merrily. "Stay until you and your teammates have recuperated!"
Chouji tried to shrug off Naruto, but to no avail did the boy let go.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered to himself, before glancing up to the sight of a smiling Sakura. The corner of his lip curved up in response, giving a half-smile in return. "Thanks...for everything." He said while scratching the back of his head. "I don't know what I would have done, if you didn't save her."
Sakura said nothing as her eyes averted to the clouds. A perplexed facial expression formed and she blinked several times. She didn't know why, but, for some reason, her eyes started stinging.
...
...
...
Her fingers glide up and down the keys with insurmountable grace. Each note she presses, a tune of their long lost pianissimos reside in. A soft smile plays on her lips yet she laughs wickedly.
"Chase the morning, my dearest loves, before we..."
The keys spontaneously go flat, as well as, her tone, and that once beautiful pianissimo turns into a dreadful—
"...crash into our caskets."
—requiem.
...
...
38.
"It's your move." Shikamaru reminded the pink-headed girl.
She looked up at him with a blank look, before nodding. "I know." She muttered, finally picking up her Golden General and moving it diagonally. Sakura's brows knit together as she stared confused at the board,; she finally directed her bewildered expression to Shikamaru. "Do you love her?"
"Troublesome." She heard him whisper. Shikamaru looked at Sakura with a dubious expression plastered on his tan face. "Sasuke is rubbing off on you, that is, with your subtle ways I mean." He gave a choked laugh before letting his sarcasm die and a serious tone reappear. "Do you love Sasuke?"
Sakura opened her mouth, before shutting it. "I... I don't understand."
"Hm..." He hummed, glancing behind him—staring at the Uchiha, Chouji, and the others who were sitting in a circle, discussing their lives. "I feel the same way towards Ino, as Sasuke once felt towards you."
Once felt..? Her breath caught in her throat. "And what exactly is that?"
Shikamaru blinked, before grazing the wood of the Shōgi board and picking up a Lance. He looked down and smirked, "Checkmate."
She frowned at him; that wasn't the answer she was looking for, but...
"You're tired—next time we play, don't be so distracted." Shikamaru stood up and gave her a wave. "Go get some sleep."
...exactly what was she looking for?
Take me away and bring me into your nightmares.
(thump. thump. thump.)
She tries to reach him before he disappears from her life, forever.
(gasp. gasp. GASP!)
Their hands connect—barely grazing one another.
... ... ...
(THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!)
Maybe it's their harsh reality—they never were in a coinciding world.
(BREATH!)
please—
(...breath...breath...breath.)
"I need your love."
(END OF TRANSMISSION)
—kill me.
Sakura was startled into an abrupt awakening when she was picked up from her futon. "What have you done with my Sakura?" It was an angry tone, and it was filled with nostalgia. "Tell me, what have you done with her?!"
Sakura shook her head furiously. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" She clamped her eyes shut causing tears to further stream down her face.
"I'll never forgive you. They'll never forgive you, you lost her, you killed her!"
Sakura fought her way away from the captor and swiftly backed up as far away as she could go. "I didn't do it! You have to believe me... I didn't!" Sakura pleaded. "I am Sakura, I am, I..."
Her mouth hung ajar and she took a moment to think about it.
(bang. bang. bang.)
Wait... She shook her head, confused. "... Am I?"
(BANG! BANG! BANG!)
"SAKURA—!" The voice screamed in fury, the shadows lunging towards her.
(splatter. splatter. splatter.)
She opened her eyes in fear of an upcoming blow—
...
...
Itachi's lips curve the slightest upwards when he watches Sasuke play with the small, pink-headed girl.
"It is said every strong man has his weak point." He whispers to himself.
Both of them are laughing as they play on the swings and hold each others hands.
"Mine..."
Sasuke looks up to see his big brother watching them, he waves to Itachi.
"...is you."
...
...
39.
"Sakura."
(thump. thump. thump.)
No one was there.
He started to scream, but the captor quickly pushed a wad of cloth into his mouth. "Now, now, Kabuto. None of that. You be a good little boy. I told you it won't hurt." Itachi mused for a moment. "Much." He added after a dreaded silence.
There was a blatant fear still present in Kabuto's eyes as he tried to scream again, but all that came out was a muffled choking that made him want to throw up.
Itachi chuckled almost amused at the man's antics. "You understand that screaming will get you no further than your are now." He shrugged off his large cloak and set the black and red garment on the back of a chair. "I don't think you quite comprehend the situation you are in right now." The Uchiha stated with an annoyed tone. "All you have to do, is disclaim Orochimaru's whereabouts and you are free to go."
When an undisclosed amount of time passed, in which Itachi mercilessly began a tortuously slow human dissection, he realized Kabuto's facial expression. Seeing the weakness as the prime opportunity to remove the gag, Itachi did so.
Once removed from his mouth, the article of clothing—newly stained with a mixture of blood and vomit—was tossed heedlessly to the ground. A soft moan greeted Itachi.
"I've always wondered how long a person could survive a dissection without anesthesia." Itachi mused aloud, slowly setting his scalpel to the side and grabbing a needle and thread. "I will begin the sutures, Kabuto, if you give me Orochimaru's location."
"I..." Kabuto took in a long, raspy breath, yet choked on his own saliva. "...don't even know." He breathed with regret. "Orochimaru goes off on his own, I heal him when it's needed..."
Itachi frowned and his eyes began to bleed red.
"The last area I know of..." Another gasp for air. "...that he is going to...Suna...." Another cough compiled of purely blood. "He's going...in f-five days."
...
...
...
"How do I look?" She asks as she spun around, flaunting off her white summer dress.
"I believe that my brother will be more than flattered by your appearance."
She blushes and looks at the tiled flooring.
"You're such a kind brother—"
In the back of his mind, he regretfully knows her words are the antithesis.
"—I'm glad Sasuke has someone like you."
...
...
40.
Itachi wryly admitted to being slightly disappointed when Kabuto's head tilted down towards the wadded cloth, a long sling of saliva slowly dripping down his chin.
Apparently, you can't live too long without the anesthesia.
A/N: This story just keeps getting more and more fantasmaglorious.
Reviews make me write. (:
EWHH its Kenna