Chapter 2: Vengeance and of Hope…
--whatever the heart yearns for, it's what the hands would do—
Tomorrow, the plan would be executed…
Onyx eyes stared at the stoned wall of his prison cell as the warden took off his shackles on his feet and on his hands. He looks indifferently at the ANBU waiting just at the exit of his room…
Patience, Uchiha….
Patience…
--oooo--
"Tomorrow, there would be an important mission that I want you to do, Uzumaki…" the lazy tone of the Rokudaime echoed at the room, in which for some instances made the blonde rolled his eyes in irritation of being given an already told notice…
"I know Hokage-sama, I know what I would do, I know…" as he clenches and unclenches his fist to gain relaxation…
"I've heard what happened yesterday night…" as he took off his rather large straw hat to reveal his masked-face with eyes, trying not to show any kinds of emotion as not to offend his apprentice much further…
"And I promise that wouldn't affect my mission Kakashi…" as he sighed again, trying to keep his face strong enough, enough not to show any kind of weakness…
"Do you want to talk about it?" as he give him an interested look, staring at him eye to eye, and hope that he'll say yes, for whatever reason, his conscience started to ring in his ears, saying that he has to be a good friend for his apprentice…
"If I wouldn't bring any inconvenience Kakashi…" as the master of masks breaks down…
--oooo--
Is this what you really wanted Sasuke??
His eyes closed painfully which gives his ANBU escorts' attentions, and never averted their gazes away from him.
I want revenge…!
He regained his calmness for not giving any kinds of curiosity to arise on the three of them, though he knew that wouldn't happen…
Why revenge Sasuke?
He stopped on his tracks as he stared to nothing in particular, space-out…
"Move" a commanding voice of a female broke his trance and started walking again…
I would bring our family's honor, and that's a promise that I gave to myself long ago…
The pleasing warmth of the sun touches his pale skin as he was directed to the exit of the prison, oh, how he longed to feel such things again…
After bringing our honor, we would be regaining our clan again, yes and make the Senju know who are the Uchihas, that we are the strongest…. The greatest…
And by getting revenge you'll regain our clan's honor?
For the second time, he halted again, scanning the surroundings as he eyed the curious, some glares, and some indifferent looks of the other shinobis. He smirks, he knew at this point of time, he should be acting carefully that whatever plot he had in mind, must be executed at the right moment, at the right time…
--oooo--
"I should have known before that she would say no…" as he tried his best to keep himself from crying… "I should have just let go of her the moment she said that she wouldn't change her love for the teme, but as always, a dobe will always be a dobe" and wipe off a stray tear in his left eye…
"Sounds like Neji-kun, ne Naruto?…" trying to make the sorrowful voice turn into a teasing one, in which for some ways, made the blonde show the littlest of his smile…
"Know what Kakashi…" as he inhaled deeper than usual, more than his usual sigh
"What?" as a curious look grace on his brows and somewhat made it 'visible' behind his mask…
"Maybe, she's just too perfect for me, right?" and stifled an unconvincing laugh that made the Rokudaime set another one of those inquisitive glares towards him.
"Hn. Whatever Naruto, but all I wanted to bring back that lively ol' fella!" as he taps him on the back and gave him a good glance that signifies his approval of his apprentice's sound mind…
Yup, too perfect to be my wife, but perfect enough to be my sister…
--oooo--
The mahogany door opened up as a young woman appeared to welcome the upcoming notorious Uchiha with teary eyes and a reddening nose due to unceasing crying from last night.
Don't back down now Haruno Sakura, you deserve him because you're weak… weak… weak…
A man with onyx eyes entered the room together with the two ANBU walking beside him. He took a glance to the woman approaching him and scrutinized her features….
Many things have changed Sasuke, why can't you like any of these changes?
She elicited a small smile so as to welcome the old teammate back, yes back.
Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, how can't I forget you?
She extended a hand and placed it on the reddened wrist of his. A jolt of electric currents entered his system, and how can that be?
You missed them Sasuke, didn't you? You even wish that they were here, right?
Say your prayers Konoha, say it like a mantra, says it before all of you die!!
Another one of those sorrowful looks materialize on her usually beaming face, and how did it affect him so??
Kneel on me Konoha, for from this day on, you'll regret it that you keep me alive…
Why can't you see Sasuke, they're here to welcome you, she's here to welcome you…
Say your prayers, KONOHA!
--oooo--
Kakashi felt this tug in his heart whenever he sees his apprentice with such a lonesome face. It tugs his heart painfully when those grins that could lighten up every one's mood would turn into a scowl. It tugs his heart painfully, distractingly, whenever he realizes that when his students were younger and when they were still genin, he just sued him off like he was just one of the props. How could he forget such a being, such a wonderful persona that was suppose to be an eye catcher for all of the Hi no Kuni, would be just like parsley on the plate in his point of view?
That's why Kakashi – Rokudaime Hokage, never let any opportunity to pass when it comes to this loving student. He never let him train by himself again or let him knew new jutsus by himself, because as a teacher, he must always be there for him and for her. He even never let a single tear fall down from their eyes, without him being there to hear the reason of breaking down. And lastly, never did he let his eyes off from them –Naruto and Sakura -, yes, not even a single second, never again, because a teacher, and a jounin leader of the team must be true to his nindo – "No one dies in my team."
Kakashi may not know it, but Naruto, especially him, appreciate his hardships on reaching out to them. Naruto even admired him more, and even believe even more that he's really is a genius, with or without the Sharingan. Naruto believed that Rokudaime Hokage Hatake Kakashi is a perfect ninja besides his past. It's really a wonder, how Kakashi became a father-like figure for the two of them, though Kakashi comes to the point of despising his own father – Sakumo – and being orphaned in such a young age. It's a wonder to Naruto how Kakashi realizes things in the earliest times before he could ever make himself regret anything that he mistakenly do. That's why all Naruto could think about Kakashi are three things – a perfect ninja, a perfect sensei, and a perfect pervert… So much for team Kakashi anyways…
--oooo--
She could hear the baritone voice of the Uchiha from afar. She seats at the far side of the court room as he announces his pledge of loyalty back to Konoha. It's really the most disgusting thing she could ever imagine, and even more sickening to act like she still cared…
"Sakura, you've got a mission…" the Godaime Hokage announced in a much more secluded area than her office…
"Shishou, what may that be?" like any genius and book smart lady she is; her jade eyes stared directly at the olive ones of her master, predicting that the mission is an elevated S-rank mission…
"For three months, Sasuke would be imprisoned, and I want you to be his watcher." Eyes looked at her with slight curiosity of whether she would agree or not, but still hoping that she wouldn't do either…
"To be his watcher, because he is the great Uchiha Sasuke, right, shishou?" she asks, hoping that she could ever have any option of backing down, and that's the first time, Haruno Sakura became dumb of reading her teacher's expressions showed in her eyes..
"If you wouldn't like to do so, I would just assigned Ino for this matter…" she said, because, if ever she presses on with the issue of the Uchiha's greatness, the long-lost secret of her teacher would be very destructive for the whole shinobi corps and of the whole village to be known especially to her. She even considered Naruto, but as far as her mind is concern, there are only two people that is capable of accomplishing this mission, either Sakura or Ino, but Sakura is still the better candidate…
She lowered her head and somehow found the wooden floor rather interesting. She contemplated at the matter. When she thinks of Ino, she remembers how her best friend/riva cried at the lost of Asuma, just for the retrieval of the Uchiha bastard and she wouldn't dare put her blonde friend back to that forlorn state just because of accepting this mission.
If she'll accept the mission, then she knows that she could do it without a sweat, only problem is how could she say this to Naruto – her boyfriend – in a way that he would understand, in a way that he wouldn't be hurt?
She stood up in front of the judge and gave him the letter from the Godaime. Tsunade might not be in the position as the village's leader, but still have the power to assign jounins for ex-convicts, and that was done in secret with the current Hokage, the ninja assigned and the judge working on the case…
The judge look at her square in the eye and found nothing, and with the nod of the head did he dismiss her and the Uchiha, leading the freeman-to-be, back to his new cell which is far more comfortable from the usual ones. Acting like the same fan girl she used to be, she ask him the usual questions –how are you?, what do you want to eat?, and etc.-and as always, he answered with a usual groan, and that made her angry for a while, made her want to end the mission right then and there.
"I'll take it." as her voice rang into the room with hesitation but it's enough for the Godaime to sign the seal though a loud gulp could be heard after the signing was done.
She really never knows when did she planned to regain that fan girl attitude nor did she ever remember that she said yes on the mission, but only thing that happened to wake her up to this kind of blossoming nightmare is the voice of the Sandaime's grandson, a personal ANBU assigned by the Rokudaime for the Godaime.
"Are you really that insensitive?" he asks though his face covered with mask, his voice was filled with resentment as she looks at her who is starting to hold her tears from falling down.
"How would you know what I feel Konohamaru? You know very much clearly about him, and how he could be a threat for the village, so I'm doing this for the village!" as determine as she would want it to be, but it still sounds like she's convincing herself…
"She let you choose nee-san!! She let you choose but you still agree!!" he whines trying to make it clear to her what could be the possible consequences that would greatly affect her relationship with Naruto.
"I am not insensitive as you think I am Konahamaru-kun, I am doing this for the village. Anyways, he's not the only one that would be hurt in this situation, so do I! But one must understand, he must understand, it's a mission, and you know when it comes to mission, he wouldn't argue with it…." And then clenching her fists to avoid the tears to keep on falling…
"Now I know I am so wrong to ask you to give him a chance. It's my entire fault, how could I let him not realize that you're just using him as a pawn for your senseless little chessboard to make your life not that boring. How couldn't I saw this coming, how could I trust you of being with him when all of the things you could do is to break his heart, nothing more, cause you're just too weak to stand up on your own feet!!" and with that did he receive the greatest punch that he could ever imagine from the monstrous strength of the pink-haired kunoichi….
A tear fall from her left eye and then followed by another one until she found herself crying and forgotten that she's with the Uchiha. Now she understands…
--ooooo--
FIN
--ooooo--
