A/N: Yes, another chapter in such short time! xD This one is a bit shorter, because this is a song chapter. But enjoy! [Edit: Okay, everyone, I reconstructed this whole chapter, because I agreed with many reviewers that it was a bit too quick for Sasuke to figure out Sakura's identity. So I fixed the whole thing.]
By the way, you should totally see this Ikarishipping video (I recently got into ShinjixHikari [PaulxDawn]) by dianasuwamoto. She is also a fanfic author in FF. I'll post the video link and her page at the bottom. You should listen to the song while reading the lyrics though. :D It brings out the atmosphere and how Sakura feels.
Disclaimer: I don't own IkariShipping [Monochroact PV] or Naruto. This belongs to dianasuwamoto, then Masashi Kishimoto.
Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to Suwamoto for inspiring me with her video.
空の絆：A Sky's Bonds
CH 3: Sorrowful Words - Revealed
Sakura gripped her shirt, where her heart was beating painfully. "My heart hurts…" Another tear escaped her eyes as she gritted her teeth to prevent a loud sob.
"I want to express my words aloud so much right now!" she thought. "I feel so shattered!" She felt more and more pain rising in her chest. A lullaby suddenly played in her head – a lovely song that her mother sang. The melody seemed saddening, but her mother's words in the song made it more comforting and brighter.
Thinking about those comforting words in the song, she hummed it to herself to calm her down. But it didn't quite work the way she wanted it. She hummed the introduction, soon singing the introduction.
"Ooh… Aahh…" she repeated it three more times. "Ooooh…"
Wasurete yukeru donna kizu sae [I can Forget any Wounds that were In the Past]
Akireru hodo utsukushi ku [No Matter How Astounding or Beautiful]
Nemutta mama no kokoro ga itamu [My Heart is Sleeping with a Fatal Wound]
Gimon dake ga me wo sama su [With only Doubts in my Eyes as I Wake Up]
A picture of Sasuke in the past and the present appeared in her mind.
Onaji kao wo shita ai wa iranai [I Won't Fall for You]
Kagami no naka no koi wa maboroshi [Inside the Mirror, Love is an Illusion]
Azayaka na kako, Yasahii kotoba [Vivid Pasts, Words of Sympathy]
Sonna yume yori dare ka ima shinjitsu wo [Instead of a Dream, Someone Tell Me the Truth]
Kudasai [Please…]
Sakura shook her head violently, wondering why she fell in love with such a person!
She saw herself facing away from Sasuke, as he did the same.
They were seemingly looking like they didn't know the other existed and walked away from each other.
Ah, dare mo inai konna sekai de [Ah, There's Nobody in this Lonesome World]
Watashi wa naze naiteiru no? [Why Am I Crying?]
Tears were now streaming down her cheeks as rivers. She choked on another sob, desperately trying to prohibit any from escaping her throat.
Her world was empty, because Sasuke had left Konoha – the village where she enjoyed her life with him before he left.
She slowly got used to the emptiness, but whenever she thought of Sasuke, she broke into tears.
Miageru sora wa haruka na kodoku [The Sky Above is Far Beyond the Solitude]
Tada iki ba no nai omoi no sugata [My Love Has No Place to Return to]
Sakura felt like her hope and love for the teammate she once loved was fading.
Mune ga itai [My Heart Hurts]
Her heart thumped painfully once more, as more tears flowed down her warm cheeks.
The words kept coming to her heart to sing them automatically.
She couldn't stop her words or the flashback that returned to haunt her.
Onaji iro no naka wo [Crawling in the Same Space]
Oyagi tsuzukeru ishiki [My Conscious Continues to Swim]
"Why won't you tell me anything? Why do you always stay silent? Why won't you say anything to me?"
Sasuke stopped walking. "Why should I tell you everything? It's none of your business. Stop concerning yourself with what I do."
Imi no nai kotae to [A meaningless answer]
Sakura knew it was fruitless to convince him, but she tried anyways. But no matter what, she received a meaningless answer.
"Don't leave! If you do, I'll scream!"
Sasuke disappeared and reappeared behind her.
Shinri nagara uke irete [I knew that and accepted]
But Sakura didn't want to accept it that time. His answer was meaningless to her question and protests.
Later on, she hesitantly accepted the truth – his answer: Sasuke wanted power for revenge.
Anata wa [Are you…]
Shiawase? [Happy?]
Ah, sugi sarishi hi [Ah, the Passing Days]
Oki zari no uso [The Lies Left Behind]
Gimon darake no kao wo mita [I saw your doubtful face]
She went through the days with Team 7. The potential promises of staying together forever were broken and became into lies.
The memory of Sasuke brushing past her without a word now filled her mind.
For a moment, as he passed her, Sakura thought she saw his face filled with doubt. Was that her imagination?
Kore wa SHINJITSU? Kore wa MABOROSHI? [Is this REALITY? Is this an ILLUSION?]
Sashidasareru te ga watashi wo kowasu [The Hand Reaching to Me Breaks Me]
Mune ga itai [My Heart Hurts]
Sakura hummed, as teardrops fell from her chin.
Ah, aisaretai [Ah, To Love Someone]
Aishite mitai [Wanting to Be Loved]
Watashi wa dochira wo nozon da? [Which One Did I Choose?]
"I loved Sasuke-kun, but I wanted him to love me too."
Kizu tsuiteiru [Getting Hurt]
Kizu tsuketeiru [Hurting Others]
Sono dochira mo ikiru koto [Both of Those Means to Live]
Sakura remembered when Sasuke had hurt her. She remembered when he had hurt her.
It was that day when he left... When he hurt her.
Ah, hitori kiri no [Ah, I'm lonely]
Yoru wa ake nai [The Night Just Won't End]
In her heart, time had stopped from the moment Sasuke decided to leave.
Her heart was emotionally frozen starting from that night. Time hasn't continued for her.
She was still torn.
Kedo tashika na koto [But This is Certain that I'm Still]
Watashi wa ima mo sagashiteiru [Searching For The Love That Perhaps Didn't Exist]
Mune ga Itai [My Heart Hurts]
"Sakura… Thank you."
It was now when Sakura finally sobbed… when she finally expressed all she wanted to say. "You… Stupid… Idiotic… Jerk!" she exclaimed through sobs. "I hate this…! I thought I got over you…" Her hand clenched into a fist, pounding the branch. "Why can't I get over you and move on?" Curling into a ball, she silently cried to herself. "Sasuke-kun…!"
~.~.~
Sasuke, meanwhile, was training once more, somewhat trusting that Ayame won't escape. Her words of taking a rest stuck to his mind, and he couldn't oppose to it. It was until now when he realized that there were some parts of his body that were aching like crazy (Literally, like hell)!
That was when he heard someone singing. The melody was heart-aching… so were the words. In curiosity, he approached a large tree where the song was coming from. No one was there, but the song was coming from somewhere.
"This voice…" Sasuke recognized it. "Ayame."
Although her voice sounded grieving, he sat under the tree listening to her song. The words were somehow tugging at his heartstrings. He felt like he knew what the song meant, but he couldn't quite catch it.
Imi no nai kotae to [A meaningless answer]
Shinri nagara uke irete [I knew that and accepted]
Anata wa [Are you…]
Shiawase? [Happy?]
After that verse, something clicked in his head. The verse he heard so far already gave him a clue about Ayame. He decided to listen more to verify it.
When she came to the bridge, Sasuke was still suspicious. Something felt familiar.
But his train of thoughts was disrupted by her passionate song. She poured all of her emotions into it. Her voice had such a harmonious tone. He couldn't help, but keep listening until she finished. He closed his eyes.
Ah, hitori kiri no [Ah, I'm lonely]
Yoru wa ake nai [The Night Just Won't End]
Kedo tashika na koto [But This is Certain that I'm Still]
Watashi wa ima mo sagashiteiru [Searching For The Love That Perhaps Didn't Exist]
Mune ga Itai [My Heart Hurts]
Sasuke's eyes opened, exhaling. He envisioned memories that were related to her words.
"I hate this…!" A punching sound was heard. Now, the forest was silent, Ayame's silent weeping echoing in Sasuke's ears.
It was slowly becoming dusk, and he sighed. Ayame's weeping faded into complete silence. Sasuke sensed that she fell asleep. "Tch…" But he felt a bit sympathetic. He has never heard anyone about their feelings so strongly before. Actually, he never did hear her sing, but it was beautiful. Sasuke leapt to the tree branch, where she was curled into a ball, sleeping. "You… remind me of her…"
Ayame's eye twitched, her face scrunching up. Unconsciously, more tears began to fall.
Sasuke was slightly taken aback. "Why must you have to be captured here, of all places?" He shook his head, groaning.
Sighing, he picked little Ayame in his arms. "This is the stupidest thing you've ever done…" Sasuke brushed her hair to the side, and by the time he removed his hand, her expression was calm. It was as if his touch calmed her down. He grunted, taking her back to his room.
"Mmph…" Sakura groaned, her eyes fluttering open. It was dark. "Is it night already?"
"Yes, but you're in my room."
Her eyes snapped open, sitting up on her futon. "What the… Did you bring me here?"
Sasuke didn't answer, but glared at her.
"W-what?"
"What are you hiding from me?"
Fear was blazing in her eyes, but it was suppressed. "What are you talking about, Uchiha?"
"I'm talking about your identity," Sasuke answered coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something I want to know."
Sakura was panicking. "D-did he figure me out?" Did something give him a big clue? "If you do, then who am I?"
"I don't know, but you remind me of… her," Sasuke murmured.
"Her?" Sakura asked.
"Her name's…" Sasuke hesitated. "Her name's Sakura…"
She sighed. "Is… Is she someone you know?" Her hands lifted the blanket over her body, trembling inside it.
Sasuke didn't reply for a moment. "Hn."
"Are you going to answer me or not?"
"Yes, she's my former teammate."
Sakura grimaced under the covers. "I'm his former teammate, huh?" She bit her lower lip. "And how do I remind you of her?"
"Your song reminds me of her," Sasuke replied. He stared at the lumpy covers. "Are you related to her or are you very close with her?"
She was silent. "Well, I am Haruno Sakura after all." Taking a deep breath, Sakura calmed herself down. "'Ayame' probably looks a little like me, so…" She firmly set her mind straight. "Sakura is my cousin."
"What?" Sasuke's voice became sharp. "You're her cousin?"
"Yes…" Sakura paused. "Since my parents passed away, my new name is Haruno Ayame." She blinked. "Sakura-Nee told me about you, Uchiha. She told me about your illicit departure from Konoha, your agreement to join Orochimaru, and how you tried to kill Naruto-Nii." Sakura swore she felt tears threatening to surface. She kicked the covers off her. "Until now, why would I want to tell you that Sakura-Nee was my cousin? For all I've heard about you, you could kill me! Actually, you can go ahead and kill me now!"
The Uchiha's eyes narrowed. "You're just as annoying as her…"
That did it. The tears started falling. Sakura gritted her teeth, unable to hold in her frustration. "What's so annoying about me? What's so annoying about her? What's your problem, Uchiha?"
Sasuke continued to stare at the little girl before him. Again, she reminded him so much of Sakura, that he couldn't stand it. "What am I going to do with you…?"
Sakura's patience meter has broken. Clenching her fist, she ran over to him, her open hand waving around sharply in the air.
Sasuke stared at her, blank. The little girl soon crouched, her head hidden behind her arms.
"Ugh, I hate you so much!"
He realized that she has meant to slap him. But this place was not a good place to let anyone hear her throw a tantrum. Sasuke grabbed her and teleported. They arrived in an isolated area, where the trees seemed to form a small crater around it.
Ayame jumped down, punching him in the stomach as hard as she could. He winced, pain shooting through his nerve system. "Why aren't you killing me? I'm a Konoha villager and Sakura-Nee's cousin! I'm on her side, and yet…!" She fell to her knees. "… And yet, you're not even giving me a scratch!" Tears began to fall from her eyes. "Why?"
Sasuke groaned silently, his hand covering his face. "I'm not going to kill you, but that's all I'm going to say!" He didn't want to or plan to kill her. Something was just preventing his instincts to erase her from this world. Or rather, he didn't have or had any intention of killing Ayame. He gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath afterwards. "Are you done?"
"Yes…" Ayame choked through a sob.
An idea popped up in Sasuke's head, but he wasn't very fond of the attitude. "I need you to answer a few questions."
"It's not like it's going to help our situation right now!"
Sasuke shook his head, kneeling down to Ayame's level. "First, how did you get here?"
"Sakura-Nee was on a mission and I followed her!"
"Why would you follow her?"
Ayame perked up. "Because I was curious about what mission she was doing this time!"
Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. "You are so stupid! Hasn't Konoha Academy or the teachers ever teach you not to go outside the Konoha gates?" Why was he getting so worked up over a child escaping her village to see her cousin's mission?
"I don't care! Just shut up!"
"Again, you might never get out of here…"
"UNTIL YOU RELEASE ME!"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"If I do, in front of Orochimaru, you'd either die or be thrown into the dungeons." Sakura shuddered at the thought. "My last question: Do you want to make a deal?"
Sakura raised her head, becoming interested. "What kind of deal?"
Sasuke hesitated, because he was NOT the type to make these kinds of deals. "I never figured out your identity, but in return… You have to stick with me and stop trying to escape."
"Why do I have to do that?"
His cold stare emerged, causing Sakura to cower. "Because if you don't, suspicions will rise and you might be killed."
"Can't I just act like how I used to before all this happened?" Sakura returned back to her old self again. Well… the Ayame self that insulted Sasuke behind Orochimaru's back. A thought appeared in her mind. "Unless…" she trailed off, smirking. "You have a soft spot for children?"
Sasuke's onyx eyes glared into her green eyes. "No."
"Ugh, it's just a joke, dude," Sakura mumbled. "So you want me to submit to you as your servant? Sure, I can ACT."
"Hn."
Sakura recalled on one of her questions. "But… even if you pretend that you didn't know I was Sakura-Nee's cousin, won't you still act more differently than you usually did? Because… You know… I'm the cousin of someone you know very well."
"Your point?"
"You were really indifferent and apathetic to me, yet, you were so gentle too. So now that you know my identity, you're going to start treating me differently."
"That could be changed," Sasuke murmured.
"Huh?"
Sasuke only jerked his head to his right, facing away from Sakura. He received another ranting from her, and he smirked.
~.~.~
Mune ga Itai [My Heart Hurts]
~.~.~
A/N: Phew, well, this was shorter than my usual chapters. And the plot has developed a bit more quickly than I thought it would. ^^" Ah, well, there's going to be tons of other chapters anyways. :] Oh yeah, the scenes I put in between the lines of the song were inspired by Suwamoto-san's Ikarishipping sketches.
.com/watch?v=efLxijE0A6I
It's like just… SO AWESOME! *squeals*
.net/~suwamoto