You're No Exception
I got inspiration- which is nice and lengthy- so I wrote this in record timing. This is the last chapter.
PLEASE READ THE BOLD WORDS AT THE END!!! AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALL THE READERS!!
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
x-x-x
if you've ever come close to losing someone you love
You know the feeling of anxiety, fear, and anguish
And the only thing you want to know is
If they're going to be alright.
x-x-x
"How is he doing?"
"…Not so good."
"…?"
"…It's like…he's not here anymore. Just look at him Hinata-chan."
Glance.
Wince.
"…S-Sasuke-kun really cares for her, doesn't he?"
"I think it's more than that Hinata-chan…I think…teme's in love with her."
-
-
-
"Poor girl. What happened to her?"
"Not sure, Machiko-shishou, but Hyuuga-sama claimed that this was attempted murder."
"Such a sweet girl she is. She doesn't deserve to be targeted just because she's the Uchiha heir's lover."
Haruno Sakura; Chance of Survival: 53%
x-x-x
I had always understood it.
"Good morning Sasuke-kun! Did you study last night?"
The feeling of emptiness.
"It really is you…"
I had lost those precious to me; my family.
"Sasuke-kun…why do you hate me?"
However I accepted this fact because I believed that this is what a monster deserved; no feelings higher than eternal pain.
"I don't want to be away from you anymore."
But this was different.
"To me, it was always you."
I wanted to believe that I didn't deserve this type of loss. Nor did I want to believe that she did either.
"In the end, nothing would've kept me from you, Sasuke-kun."
An angel did not deserve death for trying to save a wretch. If anything, I should be the one to fall.
She was the one that seemed to slow the world's rotation just enough for me to comprehend this cursed life. I owed her it…for giving me a reason to live.
And this was how I repaid her. Because of my foolishness Sakura was in critical condition. Because I was careless, it were possible that she wouldn't make it through the night.
I should've known what my brother had been plotting; should've seen the signs of foul play.
But I didn't.
"His intentions aren't good, Sakura." Sasuke said as he helped her slice fresh tomatoes for her soup. (His favorite soup..)
A smile appeared on her cherry lips. "Sasuke-kun, if I listened to everything you said I wouldn't be here right now." She teased, chuckling to herself. Onyx eyes glared at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm serio-"but his voice trailed off when the sharp knife grazed the side of his index finger; drawing blood.
Quickly Sakura moved him over to the sink and rinsed off the oozing cut. "You have to be more careful!" she scolded as she pulled out a band-aid from her apron pocket. She had been prepared.
As she wrapped his finger carefully, she smiled at the work and kissed it lightly. "Just give him a chance, Sasuke-kun. And if you're suspicious- even a little bit of what he says to me, then I'll stop talking to him. But until then, love your brother as yourself. As you love me."
My brother sensed this from her; forgiving and easily persuaded. Sakura had trusted his all but honest words; being fooled by his façade to seem…good.
"You have to stab the mother's heart 35 centimeters in!"
My phone began to vibrate loudly in my pocket as the words of the Hyuuga heiress returned to me. As I flipped it open, I spoke not a word. A wave of rage overcame me when the voice of the man responsible for Sakura's critical condition entered my ears:
Itachi.
"Outside. I'll be waiting." And with that, he hung up.
As if the curse had never left me, my vision was hazy with crimson and blood lust filled my soul. I vaguely remember being stopped by the dobe, who had come to comfort me and my lifeless appearance. However, I shoved my way past him.
"Not. Now." I snarled at him as I passed before disappearing around a corner.
And for once, I heard not a word from Uzumaki Naruto.
x-x-x
Upon reaching the sliding door of the hospital, my head snapped left, then right. I wanted nothing more than to find him. To find him and make him pay for hurting Sakura.
"You're faster than I had assumed." I heard him say from behind me. A murderous snarl- one suitable for a monster- escaped my lips as I shoved my brother into the hospital wall. As if I were under water, the sound of the brick and cement crumbling under my strength were muffled by the rage boiling inside me.
However, Itachi remained expressionless.
"I could kill you now, Itachi." I seethed at him as a feeling of satisfaction surged through me at the sight of seeing a trail of crimson liquid seep from the top of his forehead and curl down his chin.
I wanted to see more.
With blinding speed I grabbed his wrist and began to snap his fingers every which way.
One. By. One.
More satisfaction came from me.
Itachi remained silent. Not even the slightest bit of emotion or alarm appeared on his features, causing more murderous rage to emit from me and burn my irises.
When no finger on his right hand remained unbroken, I snapped his wrist effortlessly. I was amazed with the strength given to me.
So this was what it was like to be completely filled with anger and murderous intent.
"Are you finished, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, his voice dripped with annoyance as if he were in no pain at all. Hatred began to burn my skin as images of a bloody, lifeless Sakura blinded me with uncontrollable anger.
When my vision cleared, I had instantly realized that I had stricken him. And hard enough to break his nose and fracture his cheekbone.
Had I always been this strong? It was unknown to me, since I had never directed pure fury and hatred towards anyone but myself.
I took a step back. "You're the lowest of all things." I hissed at him as I noticed I was shaking with anger. As if the pain did not occur to him, with his unbroken left hand, Itachi calmly wiped the blood from his mouth. "Anger will be your undoing."
"Did you enjoy the way her blood spilled, Itachi? Or the way she cringed when you stabbed her? Pierced her heart?!!" I roared, fighting back the urge to kill him this very second as more images haunted my thoughts.
It was unbearable to think about; a life without Sakura…made no sense.
My brother remained silent. "Give me one good reason not to kill you right now." I commanded.
"I see you conversed with the Hyuuga." Itachi answered as his onyx eyes closed and re-opened. In a blur of a second, the man was up against the wall again. "Wrong answer." I told him.
"The curse will be lifted." The man told me calmly. "At what cost?! The cost of Sakura's life? Our child's life?!" I yelled.
"The blade grazed the edge of her left ventricle; missing the vital parts of it by 3.5 millimeters. Sakura will live."
I released my brother with shock. "…What…?" the word escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Onyx eyes studied me intently. "Sakura will live."
Without another second wasted, I sprinted back into the hospital and back to the critical care unit. I had to be sure; had to be certain that the words my brother spoke were not another series of lies. Yet as I did, the intense gaze his onyx eyes seemed to hold as he spoke did appear to be dishonest.
As I recalled, as a child, when Itachi was a more honest man, he had held the same intense expression.
As if he were screaming, 'believe me'.
"Oh! Uchiha-san! We were just looking for you!" A dark haired nurse told me as her features lightened immensely. "Sakura," I told her intensely. "Tell me her status now."
"I-I…"
"Are you scaring the nurses again, Sasuke?" asked a spiky, silver-haired doctor, his mouth was covered with a mask. "Kakashi." I acknowledged. He gave me a crinkled smile, hidden behind his mask as he approached me.
"Sakura will be fine. The stab wound was unusual; missing the left ventricle by 3.5 millimeters." He paused to examine a chart on the clipboard cradled in his hand dully. "But what's more unusual is the fact that the woman is pregnant. The wound should've killed the child instantly, however the child's vital signs remained healthy."
"We were skeptical about performing the surgery or not since it would possibly dangerous to the child. We were even ready to perform an emergency C-section, but with Kakashi-sensei's help, the surgery was successful and your child will be born on time" the nurse added with a smile.
I tuned out to the Kakashi's chortles of modesty as I thought about this. A wave of confusion and disbelieve covered me, dissipating the uncontrollable rage I had felt moments before.
"HOLY SHIT!!! SHE'S GONNA LIVE! SHE'S GONNA LIVE, HINATA-CHAN!!! I GOTTA TELL SASUKE!" screamed an ecstatic Naruto as he ran around the corner. When his blue eyes spotted me, happy tears began to stream down his face.
Suddenly, the man appeared in front of me and began to shake my shoulders violently. "SASUKE-TEME!! SAKURA-CHAN'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT!!! MACHIKO-CHAN JUST TOLD ME THAT SHE-"
"Louder than ever, eh Naruto?" Kakashi asked with a chuckle as he gave another crinkled smile. Naruto flung himself at the spiky haired doctor and began to thank him hysterically. I did not stay around to witness it. I had only one goal to achieve.
And that was to see for myself that Sakura- and our child was alright.
I entered her room slowly, my heart immediately filling with relief at the sight. Though she was not conscious, I was aware of the soft beep emanating from the vital sign monitor. As if I were full of lead, I slowly made my way over to the pink haired woman propped up and sleeping peacefully on the bed.
My legs gave way as I fell onto the stool beside her bed. A shaking hand reached out to touch her face. It was warm; blood was coursing through her veins. My hand moved down to her bulging stomach. The child inside her seemed to move at the touch; as if reaching out to touch me.
I was suddenly incapable of feeling anything but peace as I felt my child- our child-responding to my touch and became unaware of the softness my onyx eyes held.
"S-So the curse has been lifted, for good?" A soft voice asked from the doorway, Hinata. "Aah." I managed without turning to meet her violet-eyed gaze.
"Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. I-I was so alarmed by what I had found out I didn't bother to re-read the numbers-"
"Arigato." I told her quietly. The woman yelped in alarm. "W-W-What did you just say?" she asked in disbelief.
This time, I turned around to face her. "Arigato." I repeated. A heavy blush appeared on the heiress's cheeks as she stared at me wildly. "W-W-What did I do, Sasuke-kun? I-I didn't do anything but alarm you-"
But I shook my head and stood up. "Sakura would be dead if you hadn't found her." I paused to look back at Sakura as I clenched my fists. "I was…careless."
Hinata touched my hand lightly. "Sakura would've been dead a long time ago if youhadn't re-appeared." She told me.
My eyebrows furrowed as the heiress began to explain. "She never…had the greatest relationship with her father. He used to beat her and her mother because of alcoholism. A few weeks before she found you Sakura's father reappeared in her life and demanded her to give him money to pay for his alcohol fix since her mother is… no longer living." She paused to wipe a tear from her eyes before continuing.
"The week she found you Sakura had become extremely depressed. She had even mentioned suicide because the past few weeks had been hard on her. I believe that if she didn't find you when she did, Sakura w-would've committed gone through with it. Y-You're like her guardian angel, Sasuke-kun. She lives for you, Sasuke-kun."
I was at a loss of words. Never had Sakura mentioned her dark family history to me, but when asked about her them, the explanations were blunt and without explanation.
"Why is this picture torn?" Sasuke asked the pink haired woman as she was sorting through an old box she had kept when she was a child. Though the gesture went unnoticed by the man, Sakura's emerald eyes darkened as she held up the picture of a 13 year old Sakura standing in front of her mother.
"That part was messed up, so I ripped it off."
"Hn."
I would've never expected Sakura to be talking about her father that day. I recalled another time when her family had been brought up during the first stages of her pregnancy.
"Sakura- Sakura!" The Uchiha heir called to the pinkette as he shook her. She had been thrashing around on the bed, and screaming, pleading for something to stop and calling out to her mother. When her tear filled crimson eyes snapped open, Sakura's arms wrapped hysterically around Sasuke.
"What happened?" Sasuke demanded, his onyx eyes filled with alarm and concern. Sakura wiped her crimson eyes and smiled weakly at him. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I had a nightmare." She replied. "It's nothing."
"You were screaming." He added, unconvinced that it 'was nothing'. The smile faded as she looked downward. "…someone was trying to hurt my mother; a stranger." She replied. "Where was your father?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"…He died a long time ago. He was an alcoholic since I was born, but kept it under control until I was 7…"
"Sakura's father started to beat her and her mother when she was 7, so she's always hated to be home when her father was around. But she stayed so her mother wouldn't have to bear the burden of having his rage directed at her alone." Hinata wiped more tears away.
It hadn't occurred to me as to why she hadn't called out to her father once in her fit of terrified screams. Nor had it occurred to me that the "stranger" was her father who hadn't died at all.
"You could almost say that she tried to 'carry the burden' for her mother."
The words hit me as if I had been hit by a wall. As if I had hit myself as I did my brother earlier. Sakura suffered alongside her mother so she wouldn't have to suffer alone.
Even as a small child Sakura had been selfless. She truly was an angel. My angel.
As I had appeared to be by her.
"Sa..s…u……n…." Sakura mumbled in her sleep. My head snapped back to her as I returned to her side. "Sakura," I called. But the heiress seemed to giggle quietly at my action.
I glared at her; demanding an explanation as to why she found my concern humorous. "Gomen na sai, Sasuke-kun. It's just…that even in her sleep Sakura calls out to you. You two are meant to be together." Hinata replied.
My eyes marveled at the woman I was "destined" to be with and studied her peaceful features. Even from the beginning Sakura never thought twice about sacrificing her happiness for another.
But this time, it was my turn to take care of her. I swore to myself that she would never live another day in fear of having her father return to hurt her or feel lonely again.
(Because I refused to live another day without her.)
As Hinata turned to leave, the heiress stole one last glance at us before shutting the door soundlessly behind her.
x-x-x
"Ahhh!!!"
"Almost, Haruno-san! Just a few more pushes!"
"UCHIHA SASUKE!!! I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!!!"
"…Saku-"
"H-Hang in there Sakura!"
"ARGHHH!!"
"…He's beautiful…Kami-sama…"
"I-I've never seen such a beautiful child…"
After being cleaned up, the child was handed to Sasuke by the envious nurses who marveled at the sight of the man's perfect newborn son. Immediately after settling in his arms, the boy quieted down and blindly reached for his father who allowed his son to tug on his index finger.
The women smiled at the obvious softness Sasuke's eyes seemed to hold.
"W-Where is my baby…?" Sakura asked in exhaustion. Immediately Sasuke sat beside her on the hospital bed. The child turned to Sakura's and grabbed her pink locks gently.
The woman opened her emerald eyes to stare into Sasuke's. A smile curled at her lips as he kissed her forehead. "We did it…we really did it…" she whispered. But when the raven haired man leaned to hand her the child, it began to whimper.
"No fair, Sasuke-kun…he already loves you more than me." Sakura protested tiredly as she struggled not to smile and stay conscious. Emerald eyes then looked at him curiously. "What should we name him, Sasuke-kun?"
"Toshiro." Sasuke replied as their child opened his dark emerald eyes which bore into his father's onyx ones. "Toshiro," Sakura repeated with a wider smile. "Our son Toshiro."
"Hn," the man answered before looking away. "Uchiha Sakura."
"Sa-Sasuke-kun…do you mean you-"
"Sasuke-teme!! Sakura-chan!!!" Screamed the loud blonde as he barged into the room despite the protests of the nurses behind him. But when his ocean blue eyes met the happy couple sitting together on Sakura's hospital bed; their child in Sasuke's arms, the man beamed.
"I didn't think it was possible but I think Sasuke-teme will make a great dad!" Naruto teased as he bounced over to them and stared at the slightly dark haired, sleeping child. "Wow! What's his name, Sakura-chan?"
"Uchiha Toshiro." Sakura repeated as she took hold of Sasuke's hand and gave it a light squeeze. Naruto grinned. "Well Toshiro! Your uncle here is gonna teach you lots of things when you when you get older!"
Emerald eyes stared at him murderously. "You will not corrupt my son's mind, Naruto. Understand?" she threatened. "Come on Sakura-chan! He'll have to learn sooner or later how he was ma-"
"Naruto!!"
Sasuke chuckled quietly as the two began to squabble lightheartedly. His onyx eyes moved from Naruto, to Sakura, and lastly onto the sight of his son undisturbed by the noise around him. The sight made his eyes soften immensely.
All his life he had made himself to believe he would never get this chance; to have a family and friends; to live a peaceful life. But now that the curse had been lifted from his family, Sasuke seemed to have been given hope that everything would work out in the end.
"I was just kidding Sakura-chann…" Naruto complained as he rubbed a bump on the side of his head. But as he did, the man pulled out his vibrating cell phone and read a text from Hinata. "Sorry guys, but I gotta run."
The pink haired woman seemed to sadden at the sight of her friend leaving. "Couldn't you stay longer so Hinata can see the baby?" she asked. Naruto shook his blonde locks and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Hinata-chan's old man wanted us over there in an hour. Some Hyuuga tradition thing…" he mumbled.
"You'll visit soon won't you?" Sakura asked with hopeful eyes. The blonde grinned and embraced her lovingly. "Wouldn't miss seeing you guys for all the ramen in the world!"
"C'mon dobe," Sasuke mumbled as he stood to walk towards the doorway. "You're coming to see me off, teme?" Naruto asked, surprised by his best friend's sudden act of kindness.
"Hn," Sasuke answered as he turned to open the door. "Someone has to make sure you find your way out."
"Teme I only got lost 3 times!!"
"Hn."
Sakura giggled as she watched her boys walk out the door, mouthing the words 'I love you' to the raven haired man when he gave her one last look. But instantaneously after Sasuke had shut the door, Toshiro began to whimper.
"It's alright Toshi-kun," She whispered to her child lovingly. "You'll see them soon."
x-x-x
"You've always had it so good, y'know teme?" Naruto asked his best friend as the two turned a corner. "Hn?" Sasuke replied as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I mean, you have everything anyone could ever ask for; money, a family, a huge ass house to fit it all in…you even own your own company!" He rambled as he shook his head. Onyx eyes looked at him questioningly as he continued. "And you thought you didn't deserve to be happy. Guess Sakura-chan proved you wrong, huh?"
"Aah." Sasuke replied. For once, Naruto had been right. Sakura had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. At times, he wondered that if he hadn't chosen to walk through Konoha that day, what would his life be like now?
Would he have been as happy? Would he have ever been happy?
"I wish I could've figured out why you thought you were so screwed up, teme." Naruto asked when Sasuke resurfaced from his thoughts. "If I could spend one day in your shoes back then I think things would've made more sense and I'd feel like Sakura-chan wasn't the ony one that was really there for you. Y'know?"
"She wasn't." Sasuke replied, but something inside him began to unsettle at the way he had worded his sentence. "Well, it just feels that way. See you around, teme." The blonde man said with a grin as he stepped out of the elevator and towards Hinata who was waiting a few feet away.
"Aah."
But as the elevator close, Sasuke's phone began to vibrate. It was Itachi.
"What." Sasuke demanded. Though he had apologized for taking his rage out on his brother before understanding his motives, the thought of heartlessly attempting to kill Sakura still made his blood boil.
"The situation has changed. Sakura wasn't the sole person closest to you." Itachi told him cryptically, causing Sasuke to remain silent. "Be wary of what the blonde says to you, Sasuke."
But as Itachi hung up, the phone slipped out of Sasuke's hands as shock and realization set in.
"No."
x-x-x
As Naruto walked towards his beautiful girlfriend, a smile began to appear on his fox-like features. He was overjoyed by the thought of Sasuke finally happy. It showed on his features. The hard, ice-like expression his best friend had worn since they were children seemed to be slowly dissipating; melting away like a glacier in the sun.
Sakura and his son were that sun.
But with every step he took, Naruto began to feel a strange sensation coming over him as his vision began to shift and blur; like a demagnetized video tape. "Naruto-kun?" He idly heard Hinata ask as he stopped to cradle his head in his left hand.
Then, suddenly, a dark, mocking voice filled his ears.
So you have wished it… It began as Naruto's vision began to cloud over with a bloody red haze.
…so it shall be. It finished before numbers began to form above Hinata's head.
53 years. 27 days. 15 hours. 43 minutes. 127 seconds.
"What…is this…?" the blonde asked in horror as things suddenly became very, very…
Red.
End.
^^ Heh. Unnerving ending, wasn't it? I thought long and hard about the ending and almost ended it with them having a happy life. But, I decided that it would've been too cliché and unlike me to end this type of story without a twist.
Please review! If I get enough demands from you guys I might decide on creating a sequel and have it under NaruxHina. Otherwise, this is it for You're No Exception.
Because (in the end), she was an exception…
xxasukachanxx