Here it is at last. The next chapter. Beens you've been waiting for it for so long I'll quit talking and let you read it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and unfortunately never will
Ch. 13: Choices
Everyone had stopped fighting and waited on the younger Uchiha's decision. Sakura watched in amazement. Sasuke hadn't killed Itachi. Instead he had stepped backwards. She felt useless. Once again she was the weakest link. It pissed her off that the shark face had made Sasuke have to give up his goal to save her. The temper she was known for began to rise and with it her determination not to be the damsel in distress again.
Sasuke turned to face Kisame. He couldn't believe what he was doing. What was the matter with him? He had finally had a chance to avenge his clan and here he was letting it slip by. He was letting Itachi go and all for a girl he had once found annoying. Something had to be wrong with him. That's just all there was to it. Now if only he knew what it was.
The shark face was just about to say something when suddenly the ground beneath him and Sakura exploded. Everyone gasped. Sasuke rounded and placed his sword back to Itachi's throat. The older Uchiha had been getting up but when faced with the sword point again he sat back down. Sasuke was pissed. Like everyone else he believed that Kisame had done something and was now worried about Sakura. He vowed to himself that if Sakura was hurt he would personally make sure Kisame paid dearly for it...and what was he thinking? Why did he feel so strongly about it? Ah, hell. He sure hoped it wasn't what he thought it was.
"Sasuke-teme, is Sakura alright? We can't see," Naruto asked.
Sasuke looked back at the spot where Kisame and Sakura were standing before the explosion. He didn't see anyone. He glanced at Kakashi. His sensei nodded in understanding and heading toward the spot. He looked down the hole but couldn't see anything through all of the rocks and dirt. The copy ninja jumped down into the hole and began to dig. He was soon joined by a Naruto and Ino. They soon found Kisame and Sakura. Both of them were unconscious. Of course the only one they were worried about was Sakura. Kakashi picked her up. Sasuke hadn't realized how scared he had been until he saw that she was breathing and the relief swept through him.
The girl in Kakashi's arms moaned and looked around. Her emerald eyes opened slowly and she looked around blinking for a moment. She noted all of the hovering faces and gave a small smile.
"I'm sorry if I worried you. I just couldn't let him win," she whispered. "I can walk now sensei."
Kakashi set her down gently. He didn't move away immediately because he was afraid she would fall right back down. Sakura wasn't exactly stable on her feet at that moment. He was about to mention it when someone cried out. They all turned to see Karin kneeling next to Suigetsu and he was unconscious.
"Sakura, help. Suigetsu is bleeding a lot," Karin cried out.
Sakura stumbled her way to her friends and began to heal Suigetsu. The swordsman drew in a deep breath when she had finished. His blue eyes opened slightly and he grumbled something about being sleepy. Then he went right back to sleep.
"I can't believe it," Ino said.
"Believe what?" Shikamaru asked her.
"That there is someone in this world even lazier than you, Shika."
Shika glared at her briefly before saying, "Troublesome woman."
"Hey where did the Akatsuki go?" Hinata asked.
Everyone glanced around and sure enough every single Akatsuki member was gone. They had been so busy worrying about Sakura and then Suigetsu that they had taken the chance to get away. They had even somehow taken Itachi and Kisame without anyone noticing.
Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care about the others. The ones he wanted were Itachi and Kisame. Itachi would pay for murdering his clan and Kisame would pay for that one moment he had caused Sakura fear and pain. Sasuke wouldn't admit to anyone but right now he was more interested in getting Kisame than Itachi.
Sasuke walked over to where Sakura was sitting. She hadn't moved since taking care of Suigetsu. Karin was now waking up the silver haired man so that they could take him to Konoha for more treatment. Sakura may have stopped the bleeding but she was too tired to do much else. Sakura looked up at Sasuke with a tired smile.
"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?"
"You were held hostage, buried under pounds of rock, and just used up all the strength you had left to heal him and your asking me if I'm alright."
"Yes I want to know if you're alright and the ground didn't cave in. I kicked it with my heel so that he would have to let me go. I didn't want to be the weakest link again."
He let out an exasperated sigh, "You could have been killed. Don't ever scare me like that again. You worry about me too much when you should be worrying about yourself."
"Impossible. I can't worry about you too much, Sasuke-kun. I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want to be the reason you had to let Itachi go," Sakura said in surprise. She hadn't expected this from Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at her for a moment then shook his head at her. Then he lifted her up bridal style and waited on the rest of the group to get ready to go. Anyone that came near him received a fierce glare. The girl in his arms had fallen asleep and he was now feeling very protective.
"Let's get back to Konoha. We all need to see a medic," Kakashi said. He was also the only one without any serious injury. No one disagreed with him. They all turned and headed home.
---In Konoha---
They all arrived looking haggard and worn. Tsunade took charge of all of them when she saw all her tired ninjas. The ninjas were more than happy to let her order them around. Even Sasuke was more than happy to let her boss him around. He did however refuse to obey one order. He wouldn't leave Sakura.
"Sasuke, your injuries need to be treated. Sakura will be just fine until you get back I promise," Tsunade said in exasperation. Her hands were on her hips and she was glaring at Sasuke.
Sasuke just glared right back. He didn't even bother responding to the order. The Uchiha just sat down in the chair next to Sakura's bed. The pink haired kunoichi was still unconscious. She had apparently exhausted herself added to the injuries she sustained from kicking the ground out from under her and Kisame.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at him. Nothing on this Earth would make him move. She would just have to treat him right here or he wouldn't get treated at all. The hokage sighed but then grinned. It looked like Ino and Karin were right. He really was in love with her student. That was a very good thing. As she left the room Tsunade wondered just how long Sasuke would stay in denial about his feelings for Konoha's cherry blossom.
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Sakura woke up and grabbed her head. It hurt. She felt like she had been run over by a train. Then the girl suddenly remembered the last time she woke up with a headache and quickly sat up. Her body quickly let her know that doing that had been a bad idea by making her muscles scream in protest.
"You shouldn't move yet. You did make several pounds of ground cave in on you."
She turned and saw Sasuke sitting beside her bed. Relief flooded her system. She had been so afraid that he wouldn't be there. That someone would come and tell her that he was gone for good again. She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sasuke was momentarily surprised by her action and only quick reflexes had him catching her.
"I was so scared that you wouldn't be here," she whispered.
He tightened his grip. Sasuke never wanted to be the cause of her pain again. He chose not to examine that feeling too closely at the moment. The younger Uchiha was too afraid of what he might discover. He pulled away from her and stood. When he left the room Sakura felt panic burst through her. She was about to get up and run after him when he walked back into the room followed by Tsunade, Naruto, and Kakashi. She relaxed against the bed again.
"You're awake. I was beginning to worry," Tsunade said.
"How are you feeling, Sakura?" Naruto asked her.
"I feel like I had the ground cave in on me," she responded with a smile.
"That's because it did, Sakura," Kakashi commented with a smile of his own.
Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "That would explain the feeling then."
"Let me make sure everything is healing properly then I'll get you some food," Tsunade said while sitting on the edge of Sakura's bed.
"I'll go get her food," Sasuke said and then left the room.
Tsunade shook her head, "He should really be thinking about eating himself."
"Why do you say that?" Sakura asked.
"He hasn't left this room since you arrived. I even had to treat his injuries in here because he refused to leave your side."
Sakura blinked, "Really?"
"Yeah. He barely ate anything either. I think he was worried about you," Naruto commented.
"Naruto, go make sure he gets some food for himself too," Sakura ordered the blonde after a moments thought.
"Sure, Sakura. I'll be back."
After Naruto left Sakura turned to face Tsunade, "How bad is the damage?"
"Not that bad. You shouldn't do anything strenuous for at least a week."
"But we have to catch Itachi," Sakura objected.
"You won't do anyone any good if you don't get better first. Besides, Sasuke seems much more interested in your well being than in his revenge at the moment."
"But..."
"She's right, Sakura. You need to rest," Kakashi agreed with Tsunade.
"Oh, alright."
"Good. Now you'll need a place to stay while you heal. I won't let you stay in your apartment by yourself while you're injured," Tsunade said thoughtfully.
"She'll stay at my clan's compound," a voice came from the door.
Sakura looked over and saw Sasuke and Naruto walking into the room. She blinked. She couldn't quite believe that Sasuke had been the one to say that. But that had been his voice and he was the only one in the room with a clan compound.
"Are you sure Sasuke," Tsunade asked him.
"Yes."
Sakura smiled at him. It was times like these she thought she was dreaming. Sasuke wouldn't be this nice. He was never this nice to her. He handed her a plate full of food. She started to eat and she saw that Naruto was handing Sasuke a plate. Sasuke glared at him but took the plate and began to eat. Sakura continued to eat her own food. She was starving.
Then it hit her. She dropped the spoon and it splashed into her bowl. Sasuke had just said that she would be staying at his place. As in at the Uchiha compound?! Was he serious? Her eyes jerked towards him. He was looking back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" Naruto asked her. He was confused because one minute she was eating and then the next she had dropped her spoon and was just staring at Sasuke like he had grown another head.
She blinked and then focused on the blonde, "Where am I staying?"
"With Sasuke-teme...are you ok?"
"I'm fine. I just wasn't sure that I hadn't been hearing things."
Sasuke smirked. She almost glared at him but she couldn't bring herself to. She was way too happy about the arrangement to be upset with him. She would be staying with Sasuke at his house. It was just too good to be true. Sakura just knew that she would be waking up any minute and they would be telling her that none of this had happened. She hadn't been saved by Sasuke a few weeks ago. She's never traveled with team snake. Not to mention she would never be staying at Sasuke's family compound. She was afraid that this was all a dream. Well, if it was she didn't want to wake up.
"When do we leave?" she asked as she continued eating.
"As soon as you're ready," Sasuke answered in his usual emotionless tone.
Sakura just smiled, "Ok."
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The pink haired girl had just finished eating when Karin and Jugo came into her room. Everyone but Tsunade had already left. Naruto and Kakashi went to go check on the rest of the ninja's and Sasuke wanted to make sure that Suigetsu was still recovering.
"How are you feeling, Sakura?" the big man asked her.
"I'm feeling a lot better. I'm glad the two of you are alright. How's Suigetsu?"
"He's fine. Karin won't give him much choice but to be fine. She's threatened him so many times that he'll have to get better or suffer a fate worse than death," Jugo replied with a grin.
"I was not that bad," Karin said in a huff.
Sakura smiled at her two friends, "So where are you three staying?"
"Tsunade was good enough to give Suigetsu and Karin an apartment to stay in. I will be staying at the Uchiha compound with you because he's the only one that can change me back when my personality swaps."
"Why is Suigetsu staying with you?" Sakura asked curiously as she looked at Karin.
"Two reasons. One he needs to get better and Jugo isn't mean enough to make the idiot stay in bed to rest unless the big guy goes evil. Two I love the dumbass swordsman and want him close by."
"He won't stand a chance," Sakura commented with a grin.
"No he won't," Karin agreed with a smirk. She sobered, "Sasuke says that you'll be staying with him at his compound."
"Yes. Tsunade doesn't want me to be left alone until I fully recover. My left wrist is sprained and my body still doesn't like sudden movements."
"You'll let us know if he hurts you right and I don't mean physically," Karin demanded.
"He won't hurt me at all. Don't worry," Sakura replied oddly touched. There was a time that Karin wouldn't have cared. She would have wanted Sasuke to hurt Sakura but now...now things were different. Karin actually seemed to care about her. Sakura noticed that Karin had a soft side. She just hid it from everyone but the few the red head cared about.
"Alright. We'll leave so you can get ready. Oh, and Sakura...if you don't get better I'm going to add to those bruises that you already have only the ones I give you will hurt worse."
With that the two of them left. Sakura shook her head at Karin. Sure the girl cared but she had a funny way of showing it. The more she threatened you the more she cared. It was kind of weird. She supposed it was just the way she protected herself from getting hurt.
Sakura got up and took a shower and got dressed. Sasuke came in shortly after lunch.
"Are you ready?"
"Yup."
"Let's go then."
She followed him out of the hospital. This had to be a dream. Sasuke wouldn't do this. He wouldn't let her stay at his compound. He wouldn't have saved her. He wouldn't have let his brother get away just to keep her safe. This couldn't be real.
"Sasuke-kun, are you a dream?" she asked suddenly.
He stopped and turned to face her. Confusion was in his dark eye, "What?"
"Am I dreaming? I have to be. You would never be this nice to me. The real Sasuke's choices would have been different from yours...wouldn't they?"
"No, they wouldn't. You're not dreaming, Sakura."
"Then why? Why are you doing so much for me? I thought you didn't like me."
"I didn't think I did either. I don't know why I'm acting the way I am. With you I've been making my choices on instinct. I haven't thought about a single one of my choices where you're concerned," he lied smoothly. Sasuke had a guess about why he was acting the way he was but he didn't want to admit it to himself let alone to Sakura.
She studied him for a moment. There was more. She knew it but she didn't push him. Sasuke would tell her when he was ready but for now she would just have to accept that this was the way things were. He wanted to take care of her for whatever reason and she would take what she could get from him.
"Alright."
He turned and continued leading her to his compound. Sasuke spent the rest of the walk fighting his feelings for the pink haired girl behind him. They were getting in his way. They had kept him from avenging his clan when he had the chance. No that couldn't be it. There had to be another reason. Sasuke wouldn't admit it but he couldn't accept that his feelings for her would affect his goal. Because accepting that meant that he would have to leave her again and he couldn't do that. This time he wouldn't be able to walk away from her.
That's it. I'll start working on the next chapter. Don't forget to review.
