Okay all, here's the next chapter of Lost. I hope you all enjoy it and such. Just for reference, Sasuke is a bit OOC throughout this whole fic. There will be points where he acts completely OOC for the state of the situation so that the plot of the fic will go ahead. But the thought occurs to me that we have no idea how Sasuke would react if he found out he was a Jinchuriki. I mean, let's think about it seriously, that sort of thing would mess someone up. At any rate, this is an AU. So… yeah… Alternate Universe is alternate? That works!
To my anonymous reviewer Megan Pierce, thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you liked the last chappie and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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Lost.
Chapter Eight – Action and Reaction.
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Itachi and Konan had arrived back at the Akatsuki base. Pein was there to greet them. "Where were you two?" Pein asked.
"I was trying to convince Kaito to come back to us." Konan said softly.
"He refused and killed Zetsu." Itachi added.
"What were you doing there, Itachi?" Pein asked.
"I had a bad feeling Leader-Sama." Itachi replied. Pein glared slightly.
"We have to make new plans." Pein stated as he walked into the base. Itachi and Konan followed him, hoping that he'd bought their story.
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That afternoon, Naruto was hopping rooftops with Sasuke on his back. Surprisingly Sasuke would only stay near Naruto. Tsunade had wanted to keep Sasuke in the hospital overnight. But Sasuke had recoiled from any other touch but Naruto's. Tsunade had told them that he had suffered a form of mental breakdown and that reacting to Naruto was a good thing at the moment. It was best that Sasuke stay with the people who were closest to him. Kakashi and Sakura followed behind Naruto. Kakashi had agreed to stay with the trio until Sasuke had recovered in some way. When they finally got back to Sasuke's house, Naruto tried to get Sasuke to sit down, but Sasuke refused to stay anywhere unless Naruto was around. Naruto nodded at Sakura and Kakashi, and led Sasuke up to his own room. "Sasuke come on, let's go and get some sleep." Kakashi and Sakura heard Naruto say to Sasuke kindly.
"Kaka- I mean Dad, I don't know when to tell Naruto and Sasuke about you being my dad. Sasuke seems so lost, and I don't even know why. Naruto said he got some news from Tsunade, but…" Sakura trailed off.
"Give it a couple of days before you talk to Sasuke about it Sakura. When Naruto is by himself, I'm sure you'll be able to talk to him about all of this." Kakashi replied kindly. Sakura looked up at the ceiling.
"Until then, we have to help Naruto make Sasuke better." Sakura stated seriously. Her face set with a look of determination. Kakashi nodded, giving Sakura a soft smile.
"Well my beliefs will live on in someone." Kakashi thought to himself happily.
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Naruto made Sasuke lay down. Sasuke still looked dazed and more than a little frightened. "Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly.
"Yeah Sasuke?" Naruto questioned back.
"You're not going anywhere are you?" Sasuke uttered. He looked like a frightened child, his face paler than usual and his eyes filled with tears.
"No I'm staying here Sasuke. I'm not going to go away." Naruto said softly. Sasuke seemed to relax, and after a little while, Sasuke was sleeping soundly. Naruto sat next to Sasuke's bed, and watched over his friend, wondering if there was anything more he could do to help.
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The next day, Sakura was walking to the front door of what had been her home since birth. She felt this need to confront her 'parents' about what they had done. She knocked on the door gently. She heard the cry of a baby, and then footsteps coming towards the door. It opened to reveal Sachiko Haruno, the woman Sakura had known as her mother her whole life. "Mother?" Sakura asked softly. Sachiko gave something between a look of confusion and a look of sadness.
"What are you doing here Sakura? You left this family." She said coldly.
"A family I didn't belong to in the first place." Sakura said softly.
"What?" Sachiko asked softly.
"Found another child to adopt? Did its father know about it? Mine didn't know about me right mother?" Sakura asked coldly.
"What are you talking about Sakura?" Sachiko asked. Her face showed a look of panic.
"Tsunade-Shishou told me Mother. All about my birth mother who died on a mission away from the village. About Kakashi-Sensei being my biological father. Sandaime-Sama left a record for his successor. She chose to let me know the truth. Maybe you can explain why you wanted me so badly you had to steal me from my own father." Sakura asked. Sachiko bit her lip nervously.
"Come in." Sachiko said softly. Sakura followed her into the house, and closed the door behind her.
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Kakashi Hatake walked towards the village sushi restaurant. He had decided that he needed to confront Seido Haruno today so that at least he could concentrate a bit more on helping Sasuke. There he saw the man, putting some garbage out of the back of the restaurant, and into a dumpster. "Haruno!" Kakashi called out angrily. The man turned and glared at Kakashi.
"What do you want here Hatake?" Seido hissed.
"I want to know what gave you the right to steal my daughter." Kakashi asked angrily.
"Nirobu Uchiha bought the child to us and told us she had no one. We wanted a child, so we kept her and raised her. When you left Anbu and became a Jounin, ready to train a team, Nirobu informed me that you were her biological father. He was killed in the massacre shortly afterwards." Seido stated blankly.
"Didn't you think to question why I'd allow my own child to be raised by complete strangers?" Kakashi spat out.
"I didn't bother. After all, you were a young teenager when Sakura was born. She was obviously a mistake that you and the mother made. You would never have coped with a child on your own. Everyone knows how your father coped." Seido hissed. Kakashi lost his temper then. Within seconds, Kakashi had Seido Haruno pinned to a wall by his throat, using his own arm to keep the man there.
"What gave you the right to make that decision Seido? Who the hell do you think you are, talking about my father like that? Making a decision that I couldn't handle my own child? Then you disowned her, told her to go because she stood by her friend!" Kakashi growled out.
"That brat is a demon lover, just like you. She had to get it from someone." Seido choked out. Kakashi let go of the man, who fell to the ground coughing and choking, and turned to leave. Seido glared angrily at Kakashi. "You think it's so easy, you try looking after that girl. She's spoiled, ungrateful and doesn't consider anyone else. I have another child now. Take your brat back if you want." Seido hissed. Kakashi didn't even bother to turn back as he replied.
"Sakura has a good heart. Even if she were any of the things you said she was, it was you that raised her. Think about that carefully Seido Haruno. If I think for a single second that you harmed my daughter in any way, physically or emotionally, I will hunt you down and kill you. That's a promise, no matter how far you try to run." Kakashi stated before walking away, leaving Seido Haruno to glare after him.
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Sakura was sat in front of Sachiko waiting for an explanation. "Your fath- My husband, told me that you had no family. I had no children, and I'll never have children of my own. I thought it was a miracle when Nirobu Uchiha bought you to us. When my husband told me who your biological father was, you were seven years old. You called me mummy. I wondered why he hadn't claimed you. I asked, and Seido told me that he wasn't capable and that's how we got you. It wasn't until you were put on Kakashi's team that I began to wonder if Seido had been lying to me. Of course I found out he had been lying to me, when we went to the Hokage, and he told us that we shouldn't have adopted you without legal consent from your biological father. By then the damage was done, and I didn't want to hurt you anymore by telling you what the truth was." Sachiko stated softly. The baby was asleep in Sachiko's arms.
"So, if you cared so much about me, why did you disown me?" Sakura asked.
"I thought that Seido wasn't serious, or that you'd come back in a few days. He's controlled my life all the time I've known him. I… I wish I'd stood up to him more. The only time I ever stood up to him, was to let you become a ninja. You wanted it so much, that I couldn't let him stop you." Sachiko said softly.
"Maybe you'll stand up to him more for this child." Sakura said softly. She stood up and made to leave.
"Sakura wait!" Sachiko called back. Sakura turned her head to look at the woman she'd called mother for so long. "I do still care Sakura. Just… I don't want you to go back on your convictions… just… just let me know how you're doing from time to time?" Sachiko asked softly. Sakura just gave a small nod of recognition, then left the house, closing the door behind her.
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Naruto had managed to get Sasuke to eat some soup. He was still completely dazed, relying on Naruto to nudge him in the right direction. "Sasuke, do you think you might want to talk to Sakura and Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head. Naruto nodded his understanding. Sasuke ate the soup in front of him slowly. He hadn't moved from his bed except to go to the bathroom.
"My father must've hated me so much to seal a demon inside of me and then try to kill me." Sasuke said blankly.
"I don't know about that Sasuke. I can't tell you if your father loved you or not. But…" Naruto trailed off.
"But?" Sasuke asked.
"Itachi could tell you Sasuke. He could tell you everything you need to know." Naruto said softly. Sasuke bought his knees up to his chest after moving the soup bowl he'd been eating from.
"Do you think he'd bother coming?" Sasuke asked sadly.
"Itachi would do anything for you Sasuke. If you want, I can contact him and tell him to come," Naruto asked gently. Sasuke nodded, and then laid down in his bed. He curled into the fetal position and soon enough he was asleep. Naruto left the room and went downstairs, pulling out the origami bird that Konan had given him once again. He attached a message to it and sent it off. He heard the door open, and Kakashi entered the house.
"Is Sasuke any better today?" Kakashi asked.
"I got him to eat some soup." Naruto replied.
"That's good. At least he's eating something." Kakashi replied.
"Sensei? I have to do something that you're probably not going to like and I'm going to have to ask you to look the other way." Naruto said softly.
"What makes you say that Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"I've asked Itachi to come and speak to Sasuke." Naruto said softly. Kakashi looked at Naruto in shock.
"What are you thinking Naruto? He killed the Uchiha clan. Sasuke wouldn't want to see him." Kakashi stated.
"You'll understand later on Kakashi-Sensei. I swear. But Sasuke needs to talk to Itachi." Naruto said softly. He looked up at Kakashi, pleading with his eyes for his Sensei to trust him. Kakashi sighed.
"Okay I'll allow you to do this. I'll trust you Naruto. But I'll be in this house when he's here. If anything happens, I want to be close by." Kakashi told Naruto bluntly. Naruto nodded his understanding.
"I understand Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto said gently. That was when Sakura came into the house. She smiled at Naruto widely.
"Naruto, I want to talk to you." Sakura said happily. She grabbed hold of the blond boy's arm and dragged him off. Naruto waited for Sakura to stop dragging him before he spoke.
"What's wrong Sakura-Chan?" He asked.
"I wanted to tell you what I found out from Tsunade-Sama yesterday." Sakura said softly. Naruto nodded, waiting for Sakura to tell him. "Kakashi-Sensei is my biological father. Tsunade found a letter from Sandaime telling her all about it." Sakura said softly. She looked at Naruto as though she hoped for reassurance. Naruto smiled.
"Don't worry Sakura. I don't mind, you haven't changed in my eyes. I think... I think it brings us all closer together. When Sasuke's okay again, we can tell him about it." Naruto said. Sakura grinned. "How are you feeling about it though Sakura? It must be hard to deal with the fact that you were lied to." Naruto asked kindly.
"Kakashi-Sensei didn't know about it either Naruto. But you are right. It hurt to know that the people I called my parents lied to me my whole life." Sakura said sadly. Naruto gave a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry Sakura. We're a family here. All of us together, right? I promise that I'm not going to lie to you. I also promise that I'm not going to lie to Sasuke or Kakashi-Sensei, or any of the people that I care about." Naruto stated seriously. Sakura's eyes filled with tears at this heartfelt statement. She threw her arms around Naruto's neck and hugged him tightly.
"I promise that I'll always accept you just the way you are Naruto." Sakura whispered as she hugged her blond best friend. Naruto hugged her back, wondering how much of himself was still hidden from him at the moment.
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Okay that's the end of this chapter. I know a bit rambling, and emotional. Just a few loose ends to tie up with Sakura and Kakashi really. LOL! Please R&R and let me know what you think.aHHjj