A/N: Wow, it's been awhile. In thanks for your patience, have a nearly 10K chapter!
We ran through innumerable training drills over the following days. Push ups, sit ups, crunches. Running laps upon laps over the surface of the water. Naruto and Sasuke restarted their game of distracting each other with heckles and competitive glares. Often times, it would end with two splashes and a cooldown period where they didn't look at each other for some time.
Peaceful!
Kakashi left a clone with us in the morning, who from time to time would use a minor water technique to cause whirlpools or roaring waves. I tried to memorize the hand signs it would make, so I could try them out sometime. By noon, the clone would deplete its chakra reserves and poof from existence. We would start winding down and stretching then, giving our muscles time to recover before heading back to Tazuna's. They work a 5 A.M. to 5 P.M. shift at the bridge, and take a two hour lunch break at 10 A.M. That's when Kakashi would create another clone, one that would last us the remainder of our training.
I can adjust my chakra without conscious thought now, picking up on the disruptions and changes of the water. Enough that on the fourth morning of training on the water, Kakashi seemed satisfied with the progress I made.
"Sakura has mastered this technique already and you two are still struggling with it. No surprise there, considering how quickly she mastered the tree climbing exercise. She'll be taking my place in guard duty in order for me to observe and correct the two of you directly." Kakashi said to the boys, placing a hand on my head to ruffle my hair up a bit. My headband shifted, pulling at some of my hair. I twist my lips, almost into a pout, batting off his hand lightly so that I could readjust it.
Kakashi was using me as motivation for them, and talking as though I wasn't there. I didn't appreciate that. But I supposed it would give the boys motivation.
"Sounds good to me. Let's go, kid, we're burning daylight." Tazuna said, making haste out the door, back towards the bridge. A smile spread across my face as I followed him. He didn't doubt my ability to protect him?
The smile grew smaller as we got closer to the bridge.
So, maybe I doubt my own ability, a little bit...
There's no way of knowing if Haku and Zabuza would show up today. I felt paranoid and worried of an ambush. It was after we got to the construction site and I saw Tazuna's men were working, free of wounds, that relief washed over me.
"You're not going to be like your sensei and avoid giving us a hand, are you?" Tazuna asked as we walked up to what I presumed is their storage building. He craned his neck towards me and pushed the door open, chuckling at my look of wonder at the sight of its contents. Tools hung on the wall and large piles of scrap wood rested in the furthest corner. Old, heavy machinery took up most of the floor space. There was a layer of grime covering everything and the distinct smell of lubricating grease lingered in the air.
"I don't mind getting my hands dirty." I shrug, my hand ran over a large sheet of metal as I stepped deeper into the building. There's no reason I couldn't help with the work. I leaned over and found the steel beams that supported it, creating a sizeable table for the workers to use. My eyes glided over the welds that kept it attached. The fine craftsmanship that went into making it showed in the clean, uniform beads holding it together.
"So, what are we doing today?" I asked, straightening back up in time to see a flash of black flying towards me.
"Hauling rebar." Tazuna grinned, throwing a pair of gloves my way. I caught and slipped them on, flexing my fingers into a fist. They were a little large for my hands, but provided the protection and grip that's required for the job. No cuts or lacerations today! "Then we'll pour some concrete over yesterday's work."
A flutter of excitement ran through me as I stepped to the pile of rebar on the floor, helping Tazuna tighten the straps around it.
"Once the straps are secured, we'll be able to use the lift to lower these rods onto the wagon. Then, we'll take it up to the..." I listened to Tazuna's instructions attentively and memorized them.
It feels good to be useful.
When Tazuna and I returned home that evening, we found Kakashi in the kitchen with Tsunami. He was helping prepare dinner, offering Inari a sample of the chicken he had finished cooking in a dark, aromatic sauce. In another life, Kakashi would have made a great father.
Naruto and Sasuke were missing. Still training, even as the sun sunk below the horizon. The boys were pushing themselves harder in my absence, and I couldn't help the thought that Kakashi knew it would make them progress faster when he used me against them. Whether it was due to a lack of a girl being there as distraction, or as motivation to catch up to me, I wasn't sure.
Tazuna called first dibs on the shower, and was probably using most of the hot water. Tsunami wanted to wait for everyone to be here and ready for dinner before we ate.
How can he have the energy to even move around at the end of the day? This is backbreaking work he's committed himself to...
A small white towel rested on his shoulders when he wandered back downstairs. It was also at that moment that Naruto and Sasuke stumbled through the back door. A chipper Naruto held Sasuke's arm around him, supporting his weight. An annoyed scowl graced Sasuke's lips as he caught me eyeing his predicament with a big grin. Their clothes were damp in some places, but they weren't soaking wet. They returned with dry hair for the first time that week!
"We finally mastered it!" Naruto cheered, throwing a fist in the air, eliciting a glare from Sasuke when the movement jostled him and almost tipped them backwards.
"Great work, you two. Starting tomorrow, we will all protect Tazuna at the bridge." Kakashi spoke as the boys took a seat at the table, the faint lines of a smile showing through the cloth of his mask.
"It's about time you two caught up..." I teased, leaning my chin into my hand. Got to soak it up while I can, before they surpass me during the Chunin Exams. A lazy smirk pulled at my lips when Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I hope you aren't too sore for guard duty. It's harder work than it looks."
"I know I'm worn out. But not as much as usual." Tazuna chuckled, rubbing the towel into his hair, soaking up the moisture in it. "Anyways, the bridge will be completed at the end of the week. Maybe even sooner, if Sakura continues to offer her help. She was a great asset to me today, better than your Sensei was."
I smiled across from the boys as they looked me over, eyes trailing over the dark marks staining my forearms and shirt. I probably looked exhausted.
"Hey, now..." Kakashi chuckled nervously in half-offense, rubbing the back of his head.
"You've all been working hard lately. Please, don't overdo it." Tsunami spoke with furrowed brows, carrying over a teapot on a tray with teacups for each person. I brought some jasmine pearls with me from home and insisted she take it, as a thanks for letting me borrow her work boots tomorrow. In turn, she insisted we all drink it together before dinner. To help with digestion.
She set the tray on the middle of the table and I mumbled my thanks as she poured me the first cup. I pressed my hands against the ceramic as it radiated the warm contents. The soothing fragrance of the jasmine wafting up with the steam made me take in a deep, appreciative breath.
"Why do you guys even bother to work so hard?!" Inari's sudden, crying outburst accompanied tight fists slamming down on the table. My fingers twitched against the cup, eyes darting to his arms, the source of the alarming noise. I noticed there were scratches on them. Faint enough to look as though it came from mere brush in the woods.
Tsunami set her cup down with a light clatter, her hands beginning to tremble. She was looking at her father. They knew where this conversation was leading.
"No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gato's men. All of you!"
No one spoke as the boy shook, eyes glistening with tears. Tazuna's wrinkles settled deep within his frown as he seemed to look through Inari.
"No matter what claims you make, or... How hard you work. When facing the strong. The weak? They only ever end up dead."
Sasuke stared at the table, offering no obvious indication of his feelings or opinion. I knew from the slight movement of his jaw tightening that it affected him, too.
The hopelessness to Inari's voice. Pain. And anxiety.
It was Naruto's flat tone that broke the tension.
"Whatever, brat. I'm not like you." Naruto dismissed him with confident ease, unimpressed. His head rested over his crossed arms atop the table.
"Well I'd hate to be like you!" He snapped back at Naruto. His chair screeched back as he stood, trying to appear bigger, and my eyes squinted from the pitch. The hot tears rolling down his cheeks revealed how small he really felt in that moment.
"You don't know anything about this country! What the hell do you even know about me? I'm different from you. You're always clowning around and acting so cheerful. You should know your place."
Naruto's fists tightened until they turned white.
"You don't know how hard life can be!"
Oh, Inari... I sighed and took in a generous gulp of the hot tea, willing down the spike of adrenaline that this situation was giving me. There's so much to unpack with these boys.
"So what, it's okay for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and just cry about it, all day long? Forever?" Naruto lifted his bowed head, his piercing glare settled on Inari. "Just keep sulking and hiding forever then. You're nothing but a crybaby!"
Inari ran from the room, but Tsunami didn't follow this time. There was a small frown on her face as she sank deeper in her chair, thumb brushing repetitively over the edge of her cup in a self-soothing manner. She hadn't even poured herself a cup yet.
"Please excuse me, I'm going to take a shower now. Thank you for the tea, Tsunami." I pushed my chair back gingerly as I rose, avoiding scraping the legs against the floor. I stopped at my pack to get some clothes and headed for the bathroom. I set the clothes on the tank of the toilet and released a heavy sigh.
Inari was still crying, I could hear him.
Should I?
I stepped to his door and heard the sound of something hitting the wall with a plop. Probably a pillow.
Would I have wanted someone?
A shadow fell over the gap at the floor and the door. Something slid down against the door and a small bit of clothing peeked from it.
Yep.
I rapped at his door with my knuckles after giving him a minute to breathe.
"Go away, mom..." Inari sniffled, voice muffled behind the door.
"Mom, huh?" I snorted, leaning against the door frame, eyes settled on the doorknob. "That's a first for me."
The shadow disappeared and the knob began to turn. A lone, teary eye became visible through a crack in the door.
"What do you want?" His voice wavered, thick with emotion.
"Can I come in for a minute?"
The boy groaned and swung the door open. He stepped over to sit at a bench seat at the window and I followed him, leaving the door cracked. I sat by him and peered at the shimmering water outside the window.
"What a view." I said with wonder, observing the moonlight bouncing off the waves of the ocean. Inari nodded in agreement, though he stayed quiet. I took in a deep breath. "I'll get to what I wanted to say then."
What was it I wanted to say? I guess I didn't want him to feel alone.
"Kakashi-sensei doesn't share much about himself, but I can tell from that trait in itself that he's gotten used to being alone. I never see him with anyone and he rarely offers us any personal information about himself. At this point, I don't think it's by choice. As a Jonin ninja, the likelihood of the people most precious to him dying, at the hands of others, are unfortunately high. Kind of comes with the job."
Inari's eyes moved back to the ocean.
"It honestly felt like he was forced to take on a team when I first met him, especially when I found out we were the first team he ever passed. And the first he seems to have allowed himself to have any hope in, despite what he's seen and experienced as a Shinobi."
Taking his continued silence as a queue to keep talking, I sighed and took in the contents of the room. It was nothing spectacular. Some books, a few toys. What caught my eyes was the desk shoved into the corner of the room. Leftover pieces of used band aids and ointment laid atop it.
"Sasuke stays in a big house where his family used to live with him, but no one is home anymore. My parents never told me what happened. But it's not hard to work out that they were taken from him by force. The memory of their last days and moments are still out in the open. Untouched. I can't imagine how painful it is to walk by those memories and continue holding any faith for the quality of the rest of your life. I just hope he knows they would probably want him to have people who care for him. Who he can turn to if he needs somebody. People he can tell his troubles and fears to, maybe even share some passing happiness with..."
My hands tightened in my lap, squeezing the fingers of the other as I offered the boy a small smile.
"But when you're made lonely against your will, it's paralyzing to take that first step and connect with anyone ever again. Especially when you've been burned before."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Inari sighed, sniffling through the traces of his tears, though his tone was lighter. His crying had stopped and he was listening to what I was saying. Trying to look as though he wasn't.
"Naruto wasn't trying to pick on you, Inari. I just want you to know where we come from. Out of all of us, he probably had the worst hand dealt to him in this life. I've seen some of the kindest acting shopkeepers look at him with so much hatred, and treat him like he's garbage. It's disgusting and they know they can get away with it. He didn't grow up with any parents, so who's there to protect him from them? Himself."
Surprise flicked over his face as he met my eyes.
"You can tell in the way Naruto carries himself now that he's gotten tired of allowing his emotions and self-worth to be determined by them, and learned to protect himself. He turned the fire of their contempt for him into fuel and started acting out, playing pranks and pulling tricks on them. Why would you try to be anything other than what people already assume of you? They'll treat you like dirt regardless, and think what they want to either way."
Realization began to shine in the little boy's eyes. I lowered my eyes down to my lap as my mind wandered back to my own childhood and struggles.
Selfish child. Do you really think acting out is going to get you anywhere?
Do you have any idea what I've gone through to take care of all of you?
"What about you?" Blinking at his words, my eyes raised back to his, ceasing the slow wringing of my hands.
"Me? Well, I..."
You don't think about anyone but yourself, do you?
"This is the most I've heard you talk since you got here. I thought girls were chatty all the time." Inari pulled his knees up to his chest.
My lips quirked up in spite of the dread creeping up my spine, slowly wrapping tighter and tighter around my lungs. My heart began to pound in my chest, urging me to leave the room.
But I was in deep at this point.
How do I put this?
"I don't think... I don't know who I am, just yet." The boy's brows furrowed at that.
"What do you mean?"
"I was raised within a family. I still have... A family. And I'm thankful for that, of course. But sometimes the people closest to you, the last ones you would expect, can do the most harm to you. Even if they don't mean to. I guess I never felt... acknowledged. As my own person, you know? I just felt invisible. Blacklisted. Like a stranger in my own home. All I ever wanted was a family that felt like mine."
I can't deal with this right now. I've already been through this with your sister.
"Invisible?" That seemed to strike a chord in Inari.
"It felt like they had no space left in them for me. At some point, it felt safer to numb and minimize my feelings than to express myself. And I guess you risk becoming your own secret if you stay trapped inside your own head for too long."
If you want to see what real depression and anxiety looks like, take a look at my life.
"The older I get, the more that I see that my parents were never heroes. They were really just like me. I used to be so angry and confused that they weren't there for me. Now I know that life is hard and it doesn't always work out the way you want it to. Sometimes you just try your best not to get hurt. But, sometimes... It made me hurt myself. Just to feel something that I could control. And who would fret about some silly little scratches? You can probably understand that." I admitted hesitantly, looking down at his arms. He pulled them behind his knees with wide, fearful eyes.
Please don't tell anyone. I haven't done it in weeks. I could see my younger self begging as I stared into Inari's eyes.
"I'm not going to tell anyone. But, Inari... It's a hard habit to quit when you get too deep. You don't realize until later that it adds to your pain in the end. And when it does bubble over... It will explode in your face."
The boy lowered his knees and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I tensed up, surprised by the unexpected contact.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan..." Inari said, voice muffled as he hid his face into my shoulder. When he pulled away, he swiped his arm across his face, wiping the fresh tears away. I stood from the bench seat, giving in to the flight my body was begging for, and walked over to the open door.
"Goodnight, Inari." I said, glancing back at him. He murmured back, eyes set on the ocean again. I stepped outside the room to give him privacy, pulling the door closed until it gave an audible click.
I leaned on the door with closed eyes, head resting back against it as I took a moment to compose myself. My heart was still racing from the memories Inari stirred up.
Releasing a quiet sigh, I opened my eyes. And promptly startled at the body in my peripheral. My body tensed, coiling inward with the urge to strike at the person. My eyes found Sasuke staring back at me, leaning a shoulder against the wall beside the door. Arms crossed.
My first instinct was to straighten my posture, conjure up a smile and diffuse the tension of any knowledge Sasuke gained from my conversation with Inari. There's no way he didn't overhear it, judging by how settled he was in his position against the wall. A clawing feeling told me I should go to the bathroom door, lock it shut and escape the situation.
I wanted to hide every trace of the jagged feelings that mounted memories and peaked above the surface. The anguish. Self loathing. Embarrassment. He didn't have time for old regrets from a lost life, not when our battle was around the corner. But they crystallized into place at the slight narrowing of his searching eyes, solidifying that I wouldn't be hiding for my sake, but his.
You don't need to fake a smile around me.
Instead, the downward tug of my lips persisted and I shifted one heavy foot in front of the other until I was facing him, closing some distance. I held onto his steady gaze, swallowing that clawing feeling until it was swept down the darkest depths.
I did my best to ignore the fear that Sasuke would scoff and berate me for complaining about my life in the same breath I spoke of theirs. Of his.
We continued to stand there in silence, just looking at each other.
A myriad of emotions appeared like waves over Sasuke's features and his eyes seemed to soften. His head tilted as they unfocused, faraway from the here and now. His lips pressed together in a grimace and he fidgeted the buckle of his armband. His chest rose as he sucked in a sharp breath, eyes focused again with a glint of new, unknown resolve.
Sasuke mutely unbuckled his armband, clutching the straps tightly in his hand as it fell from his arm, allowing it to dangle towards the floor by his side. As he offered up the inside of his arm, I leaned closer with knitted brows, peering at the exposed skin. It was the faintest shade lighter than the skin above and below the armband, indicating he had been wearing them for a few seasons.
One spot in particular that stood out, up his arm, close to the crook of his elbow. It was lighter, white. A familiar sight, in my old body.
Carved with precision.
A puff of disbelief escaped my lips as they parted. My hand reached up slowly, and with hesitant courage I cradled his elbow, stilling the light shaking of his arm. Glancing at Sasuke, I was unable to meet his eyes as they were shadowed by his bangs. He didn't pull away from me though. I took in the sight of the small scar.
Aged. Years old.
I released my hold and he lowered his arm. With jerky, uncoordinated movements, I pulled the armband from his grasp and back up his arm. My mind raced as I slipped the belts through the buckles and pulled them finger tight, fastening the hook into one of the holes to secure it back into place.
I can't hide this from you. Not when you let me in like this.
I raised my arm out to Sasuke and stared at a loose thread on his navy blue shirt. His hand felt cold and clammy against my skin as it slid up the back of my arm. He held my elbow loosely, matching my movements from mere moments ago. A dark pink scar stretched vertically up the upper part of my inner forearm. Sasuke took in an audible breath and his grip tightened.
"When was that?" His question ghosted past his lips to my ears. I almost didn't hear him. A knot formed in my stomach as I thought back to the days of tearful, strenuous missions and long, sleepless nights. A time when I was getting used to the new routine of a Shinobi lifestyle and familiar strangers too close with the person I'm masquerading.
A time that no one saw me.
"Before that night." I murmured, bowing my head as my eyes wandered to the floor. "That you found me at the lake. I covered it with makeup for training and missions."
His grip loosened and he released his hold of my elbow. Our arms fell to our sides. I didn't look up to meet his gaze, instead continuing to look down at our bare feet. I didn't know what else there was to say.
My vision enveloped with darkness and my nose pressed into something solid. My heart thudded at his closeness and I breathed in deep. The smell of sweat and hickory invaded my senses and my legs stiffened to support our weigh as he leaned into me. I felt my head tuck under his chin and his fingers slipped up through the loose strands of my hair, holding me in place.
"If you get the urge again..." The low vibrations of his voice rumbled in his chest and I closed my eyes as he continued, willing myself to look deep into his gesture.
This is Sasuke. He's an Avenger.
His heart is racing.
And he's tired from training. Inari stirred strong emotions inside all of us.
His body is shaking.
What good could come of this? For either of us.
So was mine.
Does he realize how this comes across...?
The excuses running through my mind quieted as he began to speak again.
"Come to me. I'll keep you s-"
"What are you two up to?" Kakashi's lazy, humored voice interrupted him.
One horrifying and four painful things happened over the next few moments as a result of his intrusion.
My head jerked up and slammed into the bottom of Sasuke's chin.
Sasuke got knocked back towards the floor, pulling me by my hair with him.
His knee came up in reflex, likely so that he would fall into a roll and avoid hitting his head. Instead, it hit my stomach and knocked the wind from me as we landed on the floor with a booming thud.
We both groaned with pain. Sasuke's hand was still buried in my hair and his knees were raised, feet flat on the floor. I was laying in-between, face pressed against his chest. He made quick, painless work of untangling his fingers and, once freed, I raised my head up. Our cheeks flushed red as our eyes met and we looked over in unison at Kakashi, finding that every single person in the household was staring back.
Kakashi's shadow blocked the overhead light from shining on us, a sickeningly mischievous gleam to his eye. Inari's head poked from his doorframe and looked at us with wide eyes. Tsunami, Naruto and Tazuna had rushed upstairs, baffled expressions adorning their faces.
Me and Sasuke scrambled apart, pushing ourselves up off the floor.
"We were just, it's not what it..." I stuttered, words beginning to falter as I struggled to find them. And catch my breath.
"It's none of your business." Sasuke seethed through gritted teeth, glaring at Kakashi.
Oh god, no, too defensive!
"All I can ask is that you respect Tsunami's home. The hallway? Disrespectful." Kakashi replied chirpily, nonplussed by the daggers Sasuke was sending his way.
"Shut up, Kakashi." My voice lowered in my embarrassment and I stepped closer as the urge to harm him overwhelmed me. Sasuke matched in reaction and our arms brushed against each other. We flinched away from each other at the contact and I was able to make out Kakashi saying 'no sensei?' while Tazuna barked with laughter.
"Stop picking on them, you two were young once." Tsunami scolded the grown men like children, her hands falling to her hips. Her eyes wandered back over and she gave me a small smile when she noticed me looking at her.
"What is that even supposed to mean?" Inari questioned, causing Naruto to release a sickened groan as he turned away from us.
"I'm going back downstairs." He grumbled, stomping down the steps.
"Oh, dear." Tsunami brought a hand up to cover her mouth, eyes flickering over to her son. "Inari, I'll talk to you about it later, okay?"
"I'm taking my shower now." I mumbled, smoothing my hair back as I walked into the bathroom, leaving Sasuke to the whims of the household.
I turned the lock and leaned back against the door. My face still felt hot.
It's his fault anyways...
It was after my heart calmed and my head cleared beneath the spray of the hot water that I was able to pick apart my thoughts. Comb through anything new and reevaluate everything coming. I came to the realization that I was forgetting an important detail.
Something critical.
We ate dinner without further dramatics and helped Tsunami with cleanup that night. I stood at the sink, washing the dishes in the left side. Sasuke stood by on the right side, taking the rinsed dishes from me with one hand and using a towel in the other to dry them. Lastly, Naruto put them away in the proper place.
Sort of a ritual, at this point. It added a sense of normality to the mission. Tsunami had cleared and cleaned the table in that time, and was sweeping the dining floor now.
It's too bad the mission is too risky not to talk about.
"I think we need to set traps up tomorrow. Here." I spoke aloud, scrubbing harder at the wok beneath the soapy water.
Tomorrow is the first day that Team 7 will be going to the bridge together for guard duty. I'm terrified Inari and Tsunami are going to get hurt.
"Traps?" Tsunami asked, pausing mid sweep. I passed the wok over to Sasuke, avoiding his eyes. Pausing to wipe my hands dry on a towel hanging over the door of the kitchen sink cabinet, I turned around to face her. "Do you really think they're necessary, Sakura?"
"I do." I replied tiredly, looking between Kakashi's blank expression and Tsunami's nervous fumbling of the broom handle.
"Why is that, Sakura?" Kakashi asked, pressing his book against his clothed chin. His thumb slipped in the pages to keep track of the one he was reading.
"This will be the first time we've all gone to guard Tazuna at the bridge, which will be fully constructed in the next week. I can't help worrying that Gato will get desperate the closer we get to its completion. We already know rich, corrupt men play dirty when they're backed into a corner."
It got quiet.
"I'm scared he'll try to take Tsunami and Inari hostage." I paused, chewing the inside of my lip. I drew in a breath and finished with a somber tone. "Or worse..."
Tazuna looked the most troubled by my words. His eyes got wide as he stared at me, understanding the implications behind them.
"It's too dangerous for them here if we set traps up while we're away." Kakashi finally spoke, setting his book down on the table. "Regrettably, I admit your worries are... reasonable."
"What can you do, Kakashi?" Tazuna asked with defeat. "I can't bear to lose anymore family."
"I can leave one of my dogs." Kakashi sighed as he lifted his hand up to his flak jacket, unfastening a breast pocket to pull a scroll from it.
Puppos? I perked up at his words, eyeing his scroll.
"Dogs?" Naruto piped up, confusion evident on his face. "We didn't bring any dogs, sensei. Where are we going to get a dog f-"
Kakashi unfurled the scroll as Naruto spoke.
Poof!
Pakkun emerged from the dissipating cloud of smoke, his beady little eyes zeroed in on Kakashi.
"What is it, Kakashi?" My eyes widened as Pakkun spoke, unfamiliar with hearing a dog talking. "I was sleeping, you know."
"Did that dog just talk?" Naruto laughed nervously, looking at everyone else's reaction. Trying to confirm he wasn't crazy, or dreaming this whole thing up.
"Pakkun, I was hoping you would watch over Miss Tsunami and her son, Inari, while I'm gone." Kakashi said, leaning down in his chair towards the dog. "Please keep them safe. There's a farmer who lives on the other side of the mountain, up the path from the backyard. If anyone comes and tries anything funny, I would like you to take them there. Just follow the scent of the cows."
"Do I get a treat in return?" Pakkun asked gruffly, his eyes narrowing.
"I think that can be arranged with a purchase from the farmer." Kakashi chuckled.
"Excuse me, my name is Sakura, I'm on Kakashi's team." I decided to interrupt, squatting down beside Kakashi's chair. I squeezed my hands together on my lap to keep them from reaching towards him without his consent first. "Can I pet you, Pakkun?"
My first time meeting a nindog!
Pakkun turned his head and observed me, eyes glinting with such an awareness that they seemed to peer into my soul. He pushed his head closer to me and I understood his body language as a queue to offer my hand and allow him to smell me first.
"Yes, I suppose." Pakkun grumbled after taking a few audible sniffs. Like lightning my hand was on his head, rubbing down his neck and back. The little dog sighed in relaxation at my touch, settling back on his hind legs as my other hand began to scratch at his chest.
"You smell good, kid. Like spring flowers... Birch..." I don't know why, but the compliment brought a shy smile to my face.
"Thanks, I guess?"
"What kind of shampoo do you use?" I blinked at the question. This sounds familiar.
"Can I pet you?" Naruto grinned, leaning over the dog with his hand outstretched. He didn't pause and let Pakkun sniff him first.
Pakkun bit his hand, holding it in his jaws with a loose grip as he growled.
"HE BIT ME!" Naruto cried, legs scrambling as the dog held his hand in his mouth. When Pakkun released him, Naruto clutched his hand to his chest, glistening eyes narrowing at the dog. The puncture marks of the dog's teeth were light and white on his hand. No blood.
"You just smell salty, boy. Taste like it, too." Pakkun deadpanned, turning his nose up. I laughed and scratched his back with intensity. The sound of swishing on the floor from his tail wagging made Naruto release a growl of his own.
Pakkun became acquainted and settled in the next couple of hours. Everyone went to bed after that. Kakashi said it would be better for him to have some time with Tsunami and Inari, something about scent locking. So he stuck close to Tsunami's side when she spent time on the back porch knitting a new winter blanket. Inari sat next to his mother, helping unravel the wool yarn in a way that would prevent it getting tangled up as she worked.
It was comforting knowing they wouldn't be alone.
I ended up taking a walk around the building, scouting for possible surveillance. Once I was satisfied that no one was watching the house, I headed back inside and spent some time sharpening my weapons and taking inventory of my pouches. Then I added supplies from my backpack that I thought could come in handy during battle, or after. By the time I finished, everyone else was nestled up in their sleeping mats.
As I finally slipped beneath the covers of my bed mat, the exhausting day of work began catching up to my body. My knees hurt from the lifting at the bridge this morning and my stomach ached anytime I shifted to a new position. Courtesy of a certain broody brunette next to me.
Rolling on my side, I shoved my arm under my pillow and pulled it close. My eyes landed on Sasuke's back, his body rising and falling slowly with each breath he took. He was sleeping. For a while, I matched the rhythm of his breaths, willing myself to sleep. But my mind wasn't as tired as my body was. It kept replaying my encounter with Sasuke.
If you get the urge again... Come to me.
I'll keep you.
Keep me, what?
Keep me safe?
Sasuke began rolling over and I froze. Was I caught?
He took in a deep breath and released it slowly, eyes still closed.
Keep me by your side...?
I managed to fall into a deep sleep sometime after the moon rose high in the sky, its light shining past the window curtains.
Illuminating his relaxed face.
Naruto! Where's Sasuke?!
Naruto turned his head, avoiding me. The world looked as though I was viewing it through red tinted glasses.
My body shook. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears blocked the voices talking distantly. My eyes locked on a body lying on the ground.
Blue shirt.
White shorts.
Sasuke.
CAW!
I shot up with a gasp, startling a yelp from the small body standing above me.
"Sakura, it's just me." Inari spoke, looking at me with a mixture of fear and concern. I released the breath warily and offered him a tense smile.
"Sorry, Inari."
It was a dream.
"What are you doing awake so early?" I yawned, stretching my stiff limbs out before I pushed my blanket down.
"It's not early! I kinda figured you would want to be up by now."
"Not early..." I repeated in a daze, taking in my surroundings. Tsunami was humming a tune to herself as she washed dishes at the sink. "Up by...now?"
Inari headed to the stairs, running up them. Bright sunshine filtered through the curtains, shining on Pakkun, who slept at the foot of my bed mat.
Pakkun! Why are you sleeping?
All the other mats were rolled up.
The rest of my team, and Tazuna, were absent.
"Shit." I cursed, kicking the rest of the blanket off me as I scrambled towards my pack for clothes. "They left me here!"
"Oh, Sakura, you're awake!" Tsunami turned, a guilty and apologetic smile already on her face. She was in on it! "You worked so hard helping my father at the bridge yesterday, we all agreed that you should get to sleep in today."
Oh, no.
"No, no, no, no, no..." I repeated under my breath, working a dark gray t-shirt over my tank top. There was no time to waste for embarrassment. I pulled down my sleeping pants and wiggled into black ninja shorts.
"I gotta go, Tsunami." I said, being careful not to wrap the bandages for my kunai holster too tight in my haste. Lastly, I secured my back pouch.
"Dear, you shouldn't rush so much. At least get something to eat."
My heartstrings tugged a little at that as I slipped into my ninja sandals, and I paused to look at her after I straightened up.
Wait... The duo of thugs might be here soon. Is today the day?
"I saved you some breakfast..." Her forehead wrinkled as she gazed at me with concern. She was so much like Sakura's mother sometimes, it was uncanny.
"I..." My voice shook a little.
CRASH!
"KYAAA!" Tsunami screamed.
I crouched into a defensive position, bringing a hand up to shield my eyes as the room brightened from a new hole in the wall. Two shadows fell on me as the thugs stepped forward, peering at us.
Their eyes lingered on my disheveled pink hair and Tsunami's long, dark locks. I didn't have the chance to put my headband on yet and they appeared to have dismissed me as a threat already, despite the evidence presented to them in the form of a kunai holster. They must be blind.
"Are you Tazuna's daughter? Sorry, but you're going to have to come with us." The shorter of the two spoke, his gaze full of dark promises as a sadistic smile spread across his lips.
"What the hell?" Pakkun's grumbly voice barked. "You called it, kid."
"Mom?" Inari's voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Tsunami's pale face seemed to lose more color at his call.
"Don't come, run away, Inari!"
"There's another kid?" One of the thugs asked.
"And a ninken?" The other responded.
"We only need one hostage. Shall I kill them?"
"Get... GET AWAY FROM MY MOM!" Inari began to run towards them and I panicked.
"Pakkun, get your waggling ass into gear!" I shouted, pulling a row of kunai from my back pouch.
"That wont work on us, girly." I rolled my eyes and summoned chakra to my feet.
I tossed the kunai to the ceiling, outside of swords length. The moment the kunai left my fingertips, I leaped for the running boy and scooped him up into my arm. Pivoting towards Tsunami, there was the distinct sound of paper flapping. I gripped Tsunami's hand in my free one as the knives imbedded in the wooden ceiling with three distinct thuds.
"Hey, isn't that-!" The taller of the thugs cried, but I couldn't hear the rest of his sentence.
I busted the back door off its hinges with an infused kick, practically dragging Tsunami behind me, praying my timing would be right. We made it three steps off the porch before the explosion hit.
BOOM!
Dust and debris flew out the door behind us as we darted up the path towards the woods. I cursed at the sound of an additional set of feet pounding on the ground, chasing us. I led us to some larger trees for cover and put Inari down, chancing a glance at our enemy from around the trunk.
"GET BACK HERE!" The shorter of the thugs roared further down the path, and I swore I could see faint smoke coming off his white hair.
"Tsunami, take Inari and get to the rendezvous point." I whispered, pointing them in the correct direction off the beaten path. She took the boy's hand in her trembling one while Inari stared up at me with a strange, new expression.
"What about you, Sakura?" Inari whispered back. I put my hand on his head and sighed.
"I have to take care of him."
It was a tense moment of silence before I found my words again.
"But I'm strong, just like you are. I can count on you to protect your family in the meantime. Right, Inari?" I removed my hand from his head as he gazed up at me, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
"Yes."
"Where are you, bitch!" His voice was getting closer.
"Now, go!"
They retreated into the woods as a plan began to form in my mind.
I haven't tried this before, but...
I stepped on the path and slipped my new work gloves on, pulling them tight as I turned to face the thug that was walking my way up the path's rockier steps.
"There you are!"
I laughed, putting a big smile on my face and placing a hand on my hip.
"Took you that long?"
"You're gonna regret that paper bomb trick you pulled." He growled, slashing a deep slice into the trunk of the tree next to him with his sword. My chakra swirled down into my hand.
"I don't think so. You're the one at a disadvantage here." I taunted, raising my other arm to wave it at our surroundings.
"You're going down!" The thug yelled, breaking into a sprint to close the distance separating us.
"Going down swinging!" I sung, egging him on some more as I pumped more chakra into my fist. A few more steps and he would be within slicing distance.
A little more...
Slamming my chakra infused fist down into the ground, the earth split with a resounding crack. Debris flew into the air for the third time this morning as the steep path of the mountain began to landslide. I stepped back and jumped up onto the lower hanging branch of a giant oak nearby and watched as the thug turned and ran down the stone steps that made up the path.
The landslide was gaining on him, creeping closer by the second. He made it to the foot of the mountain path before a chunk of the large stone step I was standing on moments before slammed into his shoulder. A sickening crunch filled the air and the thug screamed out. He tried to wrench his arm out from under the stone as the loosened dirt avalanched over him.
"Hel-!"
I stood motionless on the branch, staring blankly as the earth inevitably began to settle.
My first kill.
"Kakashi was holding back on me with you." I startled at the voice coming from below and swore when I found Pakkun at my feet.
"I took care of the other one. But... They could use your help out there. Kakashi's in trouble, kid." The little dog looked at me with great concern.
He's summoned his other ninken? That means... Zabuza and Haku really are there.
My heart skipped a beat at the reminder of what was surely happening on the bridge right now. A blackbird cried in the sky above us, snapping me from my thoughts.
Sasuke!
"Tsunami and Inari are at the rendezvous point."
"I have their scent."
We parted ways with no other words, knowing we couldn't spare a second longer.
I arrived at the bridge in record time. All in thanks to the new technique learned the past couple weeks. It was simple, gliding over the ocean waves with a focus that pure adrenaline alone could create. My feet stuck to the concrete pillars holding the bridge up from the water as I worked my way to the top, doing my best to use the smallest amount that I could manage in order to hide my chakra presence. When I reached the top, I used my natural strength to get a good grip on the walls of the edge and hang there.
Poking my head over the wall, I could only see figures through the mist.
The body closest to me, I knew from their height and spiky hair that it was Kakashi. He stood in front of a lumpy form that had to be be the ninken piled on Zabuza. My hair begin to stand on the back of my neck as electric energy tingled in the air.
"You're a loose cannon..."
No one seemed to notice I was there.
Good.
"The man you're trying to kill, Mr. Tazuna, is the heart and spirit of this place. And the bridge you're trying to prevent him from completing is this land's hope. You're willing to sacrifice this place and everyone in it, just to advance your own ambitions. That's not what a true Shinobi does."
Geez, they talk as much as ever.
The sound of the lightning ball chirping in Kakashi's hand was loud enough to drown out the waves crashing against the pillars below me.
"Spare me the morals and philosophy lesson, I'm fighting for my own ideals and I'm not about to stop."
"I'll say this once more. Give up, Zabuza. Your future is death."
I heaved myself over the sidewall quietly, climbing the railings above it. As Kakashi began to run towards Zabuza with the blue ball of lightning, I pumped chakra into my hands and feet, sprinting towards them. Kakashi's gaze snapped to mine, growing more horrified the closer I got to them.
"Sakura, stop!" Kakashi yelled. Haku flickered in front of Zabuza.
I shoved Zabuza and Haku out of range of the Chidori with a wall of water style chakra. The lightning licked at my arms, sending a nasty jolt up them.
Zabuza and Haku were on the ground now, the ninken dividing themselves up to bite into Haku, too.
"EVERYONE, STOP IT!" I screamed, my voice echoing. "We have bigger problems!"
"Sakura, stay out of it!" Kakashi snapped, eyes narrowed on me now that the shock subsided. "This is my fight."
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried, running towards us. "Your arms!"
"Our fight is not here yet, it is heading straight for us though!" I bit back, waving my arm in the direction of the ocean. It was then that I noticed the smell of burnt hair and the 1st degree burns on my arms. My eyes fell to Zabuza, who had a troubled look on his face as he gazed at Haku. "Gato has a ship full of thugs headed this way. He's going to betray Zabuza and take care of all his problems in one swoop at the rate things are going now. We have to fight him, together. All of us. That's the only way we make it out of here alive."
"Damn it!" Zabuza ground through pointed teeth. I gathered that Zabuza had a feeling that Gato would betray him. The mist gradually began to lift.
"He's going to be here any moment, Kakashi-sensei." I stared up at Kakashi's sharingan eye, allowing him to view my full facial expressions. "I saw it with my own eyes. Tsunami and Inari were almost taken hostage, too, but me and Pakkun took care of it."
"Huh?" Naruto questioned. "What are you talking about?"
Kakashi's eyes widened.
"You're serious."
"Deadly."
"Forgive me, Kakashi... Our fight is over. I no longer have any reason to want to assassinate Tazuna if what she's saying is true. And based on the number of chakra signatures heading this way, it is. That settles our differences."
"Yeah... You're right."
I looked to Naruto, who couldn't meet my gaze. His hands tightened into fists at his sides.
"Naruto, is Sasuke...?" I trailed off as he turned from me. My heart wrenched in my chest.
I turned my body in the same direction, eyes searching over the endless concrete. When I spotted that familiar navy blue, my body stiffened.
"No..."
"Naruto, stay with Tazuna." I heard Kakashi speak softly, distantly, as I positioned my body in preparation to sprint.
I don't have much left, but...
I called chakra to my feet again, running over with all of the urgency I could summon to the body lying motionless. As I arrived next to him, I dropped on my knees to the ground, taking in the number of senbon penetrating his skin.
He should be fine. I tried to rationalize through the tears burning the corners of my eyes.
That was just a dream. This is real. He lived before.
"You'll be okay." I murmured, tossing my head back to get my hair off my face as I chose to ignore the taunting whisper in my mind that living this life used to be a dream, too. I leaned over him, hovering my ear next to his nose as I pressed my fingers against his neck. There were light signs of breathing and a faint heartbeat. My brow furrowed with worry at the coldness of his skin.
Why is he so cold? Why isn't he breathing deeper? I thought Haku was avoiding critical areas.
I began to assess what needles were shallow enough to pull and which were too deep. Maybe one had hit a pressure point, like with Zabuza?
"Wake up." The tears blurred my vision as I grabbed a few packs of bandages from my pouch, ripping one open with my teeth. It was tedious work, wrapping the bandage up his arm as I pulled the needles out. Switching to the other arm. His legs. And Sasuke showed no physical reactions to the pain that was surely there.
There was a cluster of needles at his abdomen, blood was beginning to soak through his shirt. I peeled his shirt up and pressed down around the needles with my hands, doing what I could to stop him from bleeding.
Still, no reaction.
"K-keep pressure. Why hasn't he..." I babbled to myself, the panic creeping in. I can't handle these needles alone. There would need to be an extra set of hands.
"I need you to..." My voice trembled. The amount of blood he was losing scared me.
"Dammit, Sasuke, wake up!" I screamed, the tears overflowing, rolling down my cheeks. His blood was sticky and cold against my hands, and my arms ached as I continued pressing against his stomach with all my strength.
I was supposed to be here.
"It's not supposed to... Be like this!" I couldn't hold back the sob this time, leaning over the boy below me.
What am I supposed to do without you?
"It wasn't supposed to be like this..." The distant sounds of battle erupted, indicating the mob of thugs had arrived. I couldn't afford the time to care. My body sunk lower, closer to Sasuke so I could shield his battered body from any stray weapons that might come our way. I pressed my face into his shoulder, crying harder.
I swore.
"Sasuke, please..."
I would always.
There was no fear left in me for the violence and screams around us.
Always, be behind you.
"Sasuke-kun..."
I failed.
"Sakura... That hurts..." I jumped at the raspy vibrations coming from below, straightening up to find his eyes cracked open.
He took in the blood covering my hands first. Dirt pressed into my clothes. The burns. His gaze trailed up to my tear soaked faced.
His eyes widened a little as they made contact with mine before he looked away. He struggled to get into a sitting position, grimacing at the pain that was beginning to make itself aware.
"Slow down." I said quietly, wiping some of the tears away with my shoulder before I helped him sit up. After we accomplished that, I took his hands and moved them to his stomach, by the needles.
"This is going to hurt. But you have to keep pressure on the wounds after I get the needles out. Okay?" I said shakily, pulling some bandage, a few gauze sponges and a small bottle of antiseptic liquid from my pouch.
Sasuke nodded mutely, his hair covering his eyes. He didn't make a sound as I pulled the cluster of senbon and blood began to pool and flow from the pierced tissue. He pressed his hands over it, the blood seeping through his fingers. When I poured the liquid over them he couldn't help the cry of pain that escaped him, or the reflex of wrenching away from me. Curling inward to protect his midsection.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. We're almost done." I whispered, prepared for his struggling. My knees scraped the pavement as I shifted closer, hands wrapping tightly around his wrists. It took some force to uncross his arms.
I hovered one arm around Sasuke as he settled back down and began wrapping the bandaging around his stomach. His breaths came in short pants that tickled the side of my neck thanks to our awkward positioning.
Lastly, I grabbed an ace bandage that would apply extra pressure to his wounds and hold the bandaging in place. By this time, Sasuke was able to help and we passed it back and forth as we wrapped it. When we finished up, I took in a deep breath and sighed, rubbing the remaining dampness of my tears from my face with the inside of my shirt.
"Are you...okay?"
"You were bleeding out and you want to know... am I okay?" I laughed through a sniffle as I opened a sanitizing wipe packet, feeling an odd mixture of anger and amusement. His brows furrowed and my smile fell as I wiped the blood from his hands. The entire wipe was saturated red by the time I was done. I repeated the process with another packet for myself. Our hands were still stained, but it got most of it off.
I helped him up off the ground, my arm wrapping carefully around his waist to avoid pulling his wound. It wasn't that long ago that he was helping me move around Tazuna's house in a similar fashion.
"Of course I'm not okay." I murmured, holding his wrist in my hand when he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Sasuke paused, looking at me carefully, but I kept us moving. One foot after another. "After we got ambushed at the house, I didn't know if I would make it in time to help. And then I found you, lying there."
We walked towards a wall of Naruto and Kakashi clones. Which would have been the focus of our conversation, under any other circumstance.
"I should have been here! If I hadn't slept in, maybe this wouldn't have happened. You were so cold. I was so scared that I would los-..." My eyes wandered to him as I spoke. There was a flash of apprehension in his expression that reflected the uncertainty of my tone when I finished. "I thought you were dying, Sasuke."
"...me, too." He admitted quietly as we made it to our group, his expression blank once more. It was quiet for a moment before he frowned and spoke again.
"It was my recommendation to let you sleep in today. So don't blame yourself, or Kakashi." My mouth fell open at his words, questions stirring in my mind. The sound of our teammate's voice filled the air before I could respond.
"Sasuke! You're alright!" Naruto shouted with watery joy. There was still evidence of the tears that he shed for the Uchiha boy not too long ago. My eyes remained on that boy, who bowed his head to hide his expression with his hair. The light pinkening of his pale cheekbones couldn't be missed from this close. He raised his bandaged arm into the air with some effort in response to our teammate and I tightened my hold of him to support him better, smiling at the shyness of his actions.