Withered Black Flower:
By:Terrified of Logic
Beta-ed by the ama-zing Kisa Kisa Yum Yum
With help from the awesome KinkyK and JazzyJ
Chapter 4:
The water gushed into the bathtub, steam curling and rising in the air. Her robe slipped off her shoulders, baring creamy skin laced with scars and cuts, fresh and old. Sakura untied her hair, enjoying the feel of the loose strands swishing around her nape. It was a rare action to do and savour. Stepping into the bath, she winced as the hot water touched the fresh scars on her legs. She sank down slowly to reduce maximum pain and slowly stretched out her legs. Leaning her head back as the water filled the tub slowly, one hand dangled over the edge of the bath, and she closed her eyes.
The weight of the water was heavy on her chest and with effort, she turned off the faucet with her foot. Letting it splash back into the water, she opened one eye and lazily looked towards the counter where her headband lay.
The spiraling design was nostalgic, yet she'd worn it proudly upon her head everyday for the last six years. This headband was a symbol of trust and loyalty. It was a privilege to wear this upon any shinobi's head, and every morning before the sun rose, before her shift and training started, Sakura would stand in front of her mirror and take the headband with two hands, gaze at the symbol, wishing and longing everyday that Sasuke would come home….but that was then, this is now. Now, everyday she would place the headband against her lips, the cold metal against her fingertips, and she would whisper. Whisper that this day, she would find and kill Uchiha Sasuke for the grief and pain he had caused her.
Sakura rubbed a finger tip on her arm, and noticed that her skin had wrinkled horribly. She smiled dryly. A grandmother at eighteen.
Her mother used to read a story like that to her; it was her favourite. The main character had black hair, and she always imagined the girl having pink hair, despite the fact that the story said her hair was dyed 'starlight'.
She got out of the bath tub, draining it at the same time. Her head spun and swirled from the change of altitude. She checked her watch and yelped. It was 9:46 in the afternoon, and her shift started at 9:30.
"Oh no…oh no….oh no….fuck…….damn…mother-" She trailed into cursing silence and struggled with the zipper on her jacket. She growled, sounding remarkably like an ex fellow teammate…
She ran out the door grabbing the medical kit along the way. Damn, she hadn't been late to a shift since she was fourteen. What was happening to her?
Cursing as she leapt onto a roof, she navigated a shortcut to the hospital.
"You're an idiot, Kinomi!" Donguri shouted.
"Shut up! You're the one who got us lost to Konoha--Give the dumb map back!" Kinomi said, lunging for the map.
"Both of you, maybe we can sort this out over-"
"NO!" the two scary kunoichi yelled together.
"Give."
"No."
"Me.."
"Fuck off."
"The effing."
"NO!"
"MAP!"
"Err, Donguri isn't that-"
"What, Manryou?" Donguri asked, annoyed because her sister managed to wrench the map away from her hands because of the distraction.
"That- isn't that the Hokage tower?"
All three stood and gaped at the huge tower loomingover them.
"Why didn't we see it before? This is your fault, Donguri. If you didn't yell all the time-"
"Look shut up, both of you, you're fucking annoying me. Donguri, if you didn't pick a fight every so often Kinomi wouldn't get annoyed, and Kinomi if you provoke your sister, you shame Mum," Manryou said in an uncharacteristicly steely tone of voice.
Making it to the gates of the Konoha Hospital, Sakura sighed. Breaking into a trot, she made her way into the hospital and up to the Intensive Care Unit. There were many floors to the hospital and Sakura herself got lost on her first day of working here. But in the end it was rather simple. The hospital was divided into ten floors. The bottom four was the library and laboratories, but that was set underground and the floors were labeled B1, B2, B3 and B4. The so-called first floor was actually the fifth level. This was reception and for outpatients. The first two levels were offices and treatment offices. Konoha was a rich village but even with the war the damage was done.
Sakura winced as she saw a little boy screaming about his leg, which was now a stump, completely blown off by the looks of it, and bleeding. She saw this kind of scene so frequently but it always made her wince with pity.
She made her way to the elevator and got in, greeting a colleague who was jotting memos on her clipboard. The third to eighth floors were for inpatients with different wards for cancer and poison and wounds etc. But the last two floors were for shinobi. These floors were both Intensive Care Units and the rooms were slightly more luxurious with a twenty-four hour surveillance team.
She checked in with the tenth level desk, and picked up her notebook filled with observations and medical techniques.
"Good evening, Sakura san," Maya said. "The hospital is so busy tonight, what do they think they're doing waging war?" Sakura nodded but didn't say anything.
Making her way down the long corridor, she found the room she was looking for. Sliding the door open, she walked over to her teacher and mentor.
"Tsunade sama." She bowed respectfully, even though she knew Tsunade couldn't see her. Sakura wrote down some notes and further observations. She checked Tsunade's pulse and breathing. After deciding that Tsunade would be fine for at least three more days, she adjusted the IV tube and called in for more morphine.
While she waited, she sighed and looked out of the window. There were more attacks tonight and she could see the orange silhouette of fire against the inky black horizon.
"Tsunade shishou, can you see that? The village that you helped to protect and build is being destroyed, hundreds of shinobi are dying as we speak…" She trailed into silence. An undergraduate medic-nin knocked and came forth with the morphine. She changed the almost empty bag and left quietly. Patting Tsunade's hand lightly, Sakura stretched and left the room. She checked in with reception once more and filled in an empty slot for her next shift.
She yawned. Another long night, not that she wasn't used to it. Walking out of the hospital she could see fires everywhere in the distance. Wishing the shinobi good luck in her heart, she made for the local library. There was an interesting book on cures that she thought she might take notes on.
"…She wasn't there.."
"What do you mean 'She wasn't there'?"
"I mean what I said dumbass."
"Don't fucking called me a dumbass you're the one who-"
"Donguri?!" Sakura yelled excitedly in recognition. She waved and ran over.
"Oh hey!" Donguri's voice changed from one of annoyance to pure nostalgia.
"What are you guys-wow, it's great to see you all together!" Sakura said happily, hugging the twins.
"And what am I? The next door neighbour?" Manryou grumbled. Sakura turned and hugged him tightly around the waist.
"I haven't seen you guys since I was what-- eleven?" Sakura said.
"Mmmhmm, as pink as ever." Kinomi commented, twirling a strand between her fingers.
"The Kusakage sent us along with three hundred shinobi-" Donguri and Kinomi said together. "She says the payment is alright, and she'd do anything for her old friend."
"By the way, where is Tsunade sama? I heard she was ill but.." Manryou trailed off awkwardly.
"She's in the hospital," Sakura said softly. The three shinobi looked at each other and a frown tugged at Donguri's mouth.
"May we go see her? We have a message to give her from the Kusakage."
"Of course." Sakura turned and returned to the hospital again for the second time that night, but with three shinobi in tow.
"Right through here.." Sakura muttered and held the door open for them. They filed through the door one by one, respectful and mindful they were in the midst of an ill patient.
"Tsunade shishou, the Kusa shinobi are here to see you." Sakura whispered.
"Can she hear you?" Donguri asked quietly.
"I hope so."
"Hokage sama, the Kusakage sends her condolences and she wishes you good health. Three hundred Kusa shinobi are at your disposal, and we shall do everything to end the war." Manryou bowed.
Sakura smiled apologetically and they smiled in return. They walked out the door, and Sakura could hear the faint sounds of Donguri and Kinomi bickering again in the hallway, along with Manryou's unhelpful attempts in dissipating it. She turned to her mentor once more.
"Tsunade sama…"
Unaware of how late it was, Sakura sat at her desk on the tenth floor taking notes from a thick book that lay in front of her.
The toxic poisons of the Kanon leaf often leaves the victim with a red rash and fever. The toxins enter the bloodstream and proceed to attack the heart cells. This plant often targets small animals, but is not fatal to-
Sakura turned to the next page and frowned, right hand stilling. 'No that can't be right because it is fatal to humans…and Tsunade doesn't have a rash…" She kept reading the next page and listed down the toxin and properties, but even though she had looked through six hundred and fifty seven toxins and their antidotes she couldn't find one that matched the poison in Tsunade. She growled and swallowed her anger, refusing to lose against the irritation of not finding her goal. It was only difficult because she was looking for the unknown, it was like trying to locate a black hole…only a black hole would still be easier to locate than the antidote and toxin.
"Sakura chan!" Naruto walked in holding a paper bag. Sakura jolted forward, used to silence, and blotted an ink spot on her notebook. Sighing she quickly took a tissue and mopped up the mess.
"Oh, sorry.." Naruto said scratching his head, watching Sakura tidy up yet another one of his messes.
"It's alright," Sakura said and yawned. "What time is it anyway?"
"Around twelve thirty."
"God I'm tired…"
"I told you that you work too hard. Oh yeah, I bought dango, to keep your strength up, you know, and some tea."
"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you." Sakura yawned loudly and stretched.
Naruto set down the sweets and poured Sakura a cupful of green tea he brought in a thermos. Sakura drank and let the warm liquid blaze a trail down her throat and to her stomach. Feeling slightly revitalized, she picked up her pen and started rereading through her notes.
"Shannaro, I will figure out this antidote…" she muttered and frowned, concentrating deeply.
"Sakura chan, on the way here I saw fire…inextinguishable fire…" Naruto said sitting on the edge of her desk looking out the window at the inky black sky.
Sakura stopped working and looked up.
"What?"
"I said-"
"You saw Amaterasu?" Sakura cut in smoothly.
"Yeah..I think it was, but it was a tiny flame. I couldn't stamp it out. That how I knew. Do you think…?"
"Sasuke…" Sakura breathed. Both looked at each other. A deep connection inside them was worried for their ex teammate, but the other shinobi...
"Sakura chan! Sakura chan!" Donguri and Kinomi chorused together, bursting through the door. Sakura and Naruto turned to look at the pair of them, surprised. Manryou followed behind, looking pleased with himself.
"What-"
Sasuke crouched in the darkness; poison darts littered the area around him. Glaring, he could see the three figures above him. Their fighting style was one of Kusa. He leapt from his position as a hand burst from the grass, attempting to grab his ankle. He cursed, then noticed the grassy land was charged with chakra. This fight would have to be fought in the trees, and he would have to keep moving. He cursed again. He shouldn't let his guard down, not now and not ever. The last time he let his guard down was when he had faced his brother, crying and pleading why his brother had done such an illicit act. That also happened to be the last time he cried…He gripped Kusangi and quickly slashed at the air, forming a snake. It multiplied and after slithering in different directions they exploded.
"Donguri, now!" He heard on voice on his right say.
"Gotcha!" A smug voice whispered. He spun around and saw two identical girls with chestnut coloured hair smirking at him. He growled and charged his right hand with a powerful Chidori. He wouldn't miss, he was sure about his targets. Running toward the smirking girls, he raised his right hand, glowing blue and chirping with one thousand birds.
He was gaining momentum. Why were they still smiling? He would give them something to smile about. Except he couldn't, especially when the charges he sent went right through them. He froze, Chidori still burning. A boy roughly his age had emerged from a tree- no he was the tree- and had started making seals. The ground rose, grass creeping up the trunk of the tree he was standing on. Rapidly, even faster now, no matter how much chakra Sasuke used to block the green tendrils it didn't work. Fuck. The grass was fucking strangling him. A girl appeared next to him and smiled,
"Man, you're hot…" she whispered, trailing a finger down the side of his face. "Better looking than any other guy I've killed." Her finger traced the border where the grass met his neck. Her tongue flicked out, nearly touching his skin but not quite. He cursed at her, called her every name under the sun and even growled but nothing stopped her from smiling and stabbing him in the neck with some dart. He was rapidly seeing black from the lack of oxygen. Must hang on…
He never felt his body falling and hitting the ground.
The three shinobi crowded around, looking at him. Feeling a bit sorry, the compassionate one of the twins sat his body against the tree instead of the crumpled heap he was before. When the grass next rustled, they were gone.
"Sakura chan? Are you okay?"
"Naruto.." she said weakly, leaning against him. Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder understandingly. He didn't need to say it.
"What?" Donguri asked ,looking at her siblings. "Did I say something?"
"No…it's nothing. I need to go…"
"Sakura chan, should I come with you?" Naruto asked as Sakura got to her feet shakily.
"No I'll be okay…" Sakura whispered. She left the room and walked down the corridor quickly, but not before picking up her red jacket with the Haruno symbol emblazoned on the back and her medical bag. The cool air embraced her as she stepped out from the gates. She had no time left if she were to save him.
The night had never looked darker.
"What did I say!" Donguri wailed wringing her hands.
"Idiot! You just made Sakura upset!" Kinomi said hitting her twin on the head. "Baka."
"I know that, God."
"Naruto, why did Sakura chan react like that?" Kinomi asked while Donguri nursed her head with her hand.
"I don't think I should-"
"Yes?" The twins prompted.
"Well I…."
They looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't think I should say, it is strictly only Sakura's and Sasuke's business."
"Aha! So the guy is called Sasuke!" The twins chorused. Naruto slapped his head. Damn, he was bad at being secret keeper.
Sasuke where are you? Tell me where you are… Sakura pleaded in her mind. She had no idea where she was going and the forest was huge. Instincts guided her on, leading her through the woods. Endless bushes and trees looked identical and it felt as if she was going around in circles. She felt guilty, and she had no idea why.
Because she was doing this for a traitor.
Why shouldn't she save him, she reasoned, he is just as human as anybody else. Is he? The annoying voice in her head challenged her. It felt like hours since she started looking for him. She paused to take a breath and started again. A knot in her heart was forming, a familiar knot that she thought she had gotten rid of years ago.
Then.
There.
In the shadows, she saw a figure resting against the base of a tree. There was no mistaking those raven locks. She made her way over to him, then less than two meters away she stopped and rethought her actions.
There's no going back after this.
I know, she replied, and she knelt down on her knees. She didn't know why tears were flowing down her cheeks. As she crawled towards him she realized the line between loyalty and betrayal was one thin line.
Sasuke..kun…I'm here now. And…I'm sorry.