Chapter 15:
The Peach Demon, The Ice Prince, and The Pink Knight
Part 2: Awakening and Awareness
Darkness.
A familiar calm voice echoed, "Sheesh, no matter how many times I warn you, Naruto. You still keep getting in my way…"
"Sasuke! You…" A familiar hopeful voice seemed to trail off.
What the- what's happening? Sasuke? Naruto? Where are you?
With her cheek and stomach pressed against the rough ground, Sakura let out a small groan. She attempted to move herself, but her body refused. Face down on the ground, she pried open her eyes, and the first thing her eyes met: red. Blood splattered across the floor in front of her. It almost prompted her to scream but she couldn't. She couldn't speak nor move her body. Panic rose in her chest, before she forced herself to calm down.
Relief flooded her when she realized she wasn't paralyzed. She inquired, I wasn't poisoned. Running her chakra through her system, she found nothing harmful. Except a heavy dose of sedatives. At least that explained why she was too drowsy to move. The scent of salt water, stone, and the metallic scent of blood wafted through her nose. Pain throbbed at a certain spot on the back of her skull, and her body felt sore. It was as if someone had been throwing her body around like a rag doll.
Naruto yelled not far away, but in Sakura's state, it seemed muffled. Cautious, Sakura lifted her head to turn towards the sound of Naruto and Sasuke's voices. They stood only few feet away from her. Bloody and wounded, they were trapped by Haku's dome of ice mirrors. Naruto's eyes were wide in shock as Sasuke's back towered in front of him. The needles protruded from all over his body.
Forgetting her drowsiness, Sakura's eyes widened in horror. Just like the first time she witnessed Sasuke's near death experience. Flashbacks of what had happened before. Sasuke sacrificing himself for Naruto, Naruto unleashing the Kyuubi chakra, Haku and Zabuza's death. Only one thought came to her drugged mind.
I need to help Naruto and Sasuke…
If she wasn't so tired from the sedatives, she would have stood up and immediately gone to their aid. She tried, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to do much. Unable to move her body, Sakura opened her mouth to call out to them. But she only managed a small croak from her dry throat. They didn't notice her awakening.
Sasuke's lips twitched up almost in a smile. "Hmph, I used to hate you, you know?" he said to Naruto.
"Why? Why did you-? Why, me?" He questioned. "You should have just minded your own business!"
Blood trailed from the corner of Sasuke's mouth. Tired, he retorted, "How should I know? My body just...moved on its own...Fool!" His voice trailed off, before he fell back. Astonished, Naruto caught him and laid him on his lap.
Sakura's eyes widened further. Sasuke wouldn't say that. Not the current Sasuke from my future. No, wait, Sakura thought, her tired eyes focusing on Sasuke's unconscious form. Yes, I see now.
Careful to watch the scene unfold before her again, she realized that though in her future Sasuke turned out...obsessed and misguided, this Sasuke opened himself up to Naruto, and cared about him. He hadn't been tainted by the curse mark yet. This wasn't the Sasuke she hates. She didn't have to hate Sasuke, not this one anyway.
This isn't the Sasuke I know now, a small voice in the back of her head reasoned. This was the Sasuke I knew. The old Sasuke, the one I fell in love with…
She shouldn't be afraid of him. Maybe a bit cautious, but that meant she didn't have to stay away from him or from Naruto. So what if they couldn't help her? That didn't mean she had to distance herself. If anything, she should get closer to them! To protect them.
I don't have to hate Sasuke, not this one at least. The point of coming back here was to prevent Sasuke from leaving, to save everyone from the war.
Her eyes felt heavy again, as if they weighed a ton. She cursed the sedatives, but perhaps this was fine. Naruto could handle it, she thought as Naruto yelled at Haku. She felt the evil aura the Kyuubi chakra flared from his body. It was healing Naruto's wounds automatically. Naruto growled, his now red eyes and vertical slit pupils trained on the ice wielding ninja.
She heard him roar, "First Sakura-chan, now Sasuke! I'll kill you!"
Yeah, he's got this. After all, someone's got to name the bridge after someone who deserves it.
No wait, she thought, attentive now. I need to help them! She knew Sasuke would be fine. Since he did survive the first time, but now that she was conscious, the least she could do was help. She needed to heal Sasuke just in case. Besides, her chakra had replenished while she had been unconscious. She was ready to go all out.
As Naruto abandoned Sasuke to attack Haku, Sakura dragged herself over to his body. She ignored the effects of the sedatives and gathered every ounce of strength. Propping herself on all fours, she went to work on removing the senbon and healing the major wounds.
There was a shout as Naruto sent Haku flying, making him land on the ground with a horrible thump. As he was about to land another Kyuubi enhanced blow, the mask cracked and broke off, revealing Haku to him. The face made the Kyuubi's chakra fade almost instantly. Naruto halted, his fist hovering from Haku's face. Sakura turned around to look for Kakashi. She noticed his silhouette through the thick veil of mist. She could barely make out Zabuza's form across from him, along with a few smaller dog-like silhouettes. Kakashi was going to end it.
Soon.
Paying no mind to it, she continued to heal Sasuke's wounds. All she had to do was wait for him. This time, she had faith in him. He wouldn't die. Not now.
"That day I met you in the forest… I remember thinking that we were two of a kind. Surely you can understand," Haku said to Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened. "You'll have to bloody your hands. Forgive me for that."
Naruto gritted his teeth and replied, "Is that...is that the only way? No other outcome?"
"Yes," Haku answered, giving him a sad smile.
Naruto was silent for a moment, shutting his eyes with concentration and contemplating. Then he opened his eyes, his blue irises hard, but he made his decision. He pulled out a kunai.
Haku spoke, "I hope you find your dream."
Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke, only to meet Sakura's green eyes. He gasped in shock, finally noticing her presence sitting not far from him. Sakura-chan, you're alive! He thought with relief, smiling even through the sad atmosphere.
Haku glanced at the pink haired girl. "That friend of yours, the pink haired one, I suggest you watch her carefully. She's strong, but there's something about her that tells me she's going to need you more in the future," he advised Naruto. He nodded with understanding.
Naruto's hands trembled as he said to Haku, "If we had met some other way, someplace else, you and me's probably have been friends." Finally, he rushed towards him.
"Thank you." You're going to be strong. Your pink haired friend seems to have experience that shouldn't have at her age and yet, her eyes are worn and tired like she's seen war, Haku thought glancing back at Sakura. She gazed at them with a grim expression.
As Naruto yelled out and closed the distance between them, Haku suddenly grabbed his hand, stopping him from the killer blow. Naruto gaped.
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I can't die yet," Haku said, glancing away and using his other hand to make a seal.
In a flash, he was gone, and Sakura knew where he had went.
She couldn't save Haku and Zabuza in the end. A few minutes after Haku was killed, Gato came and Zabuza rushed through his crowd of minions and killed him, but not without getting impaled several times. Of course he died, if it hadn't been for his drive to kill Gato and avenge Haku, we would've died instantly. A few minutes later, Sasuke awoke, to Sakura's relief. Then Gato's men were about to kill them and pillage the village, but Inari showed with all the villagers at his back. They retreated in fear once they saw Kakashi make dozens of clones of himself.
Two weeks later, Sasuke had recovered quickly thanks to Sakura. In the last two weeks they stayed at Inari's, Team 7 had finally bonded and become a true team. Sakura spoke with Sasuke without any hostility, he noticed, and Sakura allowed herself to be closer with Naruto and him. Sakura actually enjoyed talking to Naruto and Sasuke again, teasing the both of them warmheartedly. It was like a weight was lifted off her chest because Sakura felt better, almost forgetting that she was from the future and was 17 years old. At the moment, Team 7 had just finished paying their respects at Haku and Zabuza's grave. Naruto realized that he didn't agree with the notion that only ninja were only emotionless tools, and he decided he would follow his own ninja way.
It was finally over. There first advanced mission was finally over.
You guys, I am so sorry I haven't updated when I said I would! I been meaning to, but I've been busy with summer school. I couldn't update before that because I got stuck with writer's block. Shit, I am so sorry! For those of you who are still keeping an eye out for TBT, thanks for waiting.
I'll be going back to school soon, so hopefully this fulfills you till the next chapter.
The Chunnin exams are coming up soon~ ;)
Anticipate what's to come!