Hello my faithful readers! It's been a great pleasure reading all of your replies and requests for the pairings and I am glad to say that I will try to add in every pairing you requested, regardless of whether it won or not, however the winning pair will be the couple at the end of this fanfic.
The results are as follows:
ShikaSakuNeji: 2 votes
SasuSaku: 10 votes
NejiSaku: 7 votes
ItaSaku: 11 votes!
ItaSakuSasu: 7 votes
ShikaSaku: 1 vote
Other: 3 votes
And here we are!
I hope you enjoy this chapter, though I must warn you, it might swing towards the slightly angsty, depressed mode in some parts, but it's compensated for that as the promised SASUSAKU KISS IS HERE!
Also, I know this ENTIRE story has been swinging towards the angst, although the description clearly says 'Romance & Humour', but I believe every story needs to have a sort of climax, a gradual build-up to the main events. But don't you worry, the Humour shall return with vengeance in the next chapters!
To one of my reviewers kisukebenihime for pointing out an important fact:
Thank you for your review and recommendation! I'm well aware of the little detail you pointed out, and I hope that this chapter will explain it all. Enjoy!
Sakura scowled. Those weren't the most pleasing odds. Over two hundred fully qualified ninja,all chuunin level or above, against them; two missing-nins. Not only were they terribly outnumbered, but they were also faced with people who wouldn't hesitate to kill them for their wrongdoings.
Not good.
"Sasuke." The rosette muttered from the corner of her mouth. "We need to get out of here. Quickly."
To her surprise, the raven-haired teen growled at her. "No. We will fight."
Just as Sakura was about to ridicule him for his stupidity and egoistic tendencies which were bound to get them killed at some point, she noticed the penetrating glare Sasuke was sending to the blond Kyuubi container. And, in her own, twisted way, she understood why Sasuke wanted to stay. She had seen that glare in the eyes of Deidara far too many times to be healthy, every time his eyes came to rest on Itachi.
The two teens had unfinished business.
And, judging from the scorn of Sasuke's glare, and the other boy's pleading gaze, they must've been teammates before Sasuke defected.
"Fine." Sakura replied. "You take half, I take the other."
From the corner of her eye, Sakura noticed the Copy Ninja's look of surprise at her quick reply. He probably thought that she was joking.
Ignoring her common sense, Sakura let the adrenaline pump freely through her veins, and the bloodlust overtake her body. She was out for revenge for Sasori's death, and that never ended well.
"Let's get started then," she licked her lips. "Or are you too scared?"
They had been fighting for seconds, minutes, maybe hours. Time seemed non-existent when faced with a situation of life and death, hundred vs. one. Sakura's Chakra Scalpel sliced yet another throat, blood spilling mercilessly on her pale hands. Hands that were now covered in delicious crimson liquid, the life-force of her enemies that dripped on her hands and body as she cut them down, one by one.
True, she'd never been faced with such overwhelming odds before, but due to Suna being a country which consisted of long-range fighters; her close-and-mid-range techniques gave her the unbeatable advantage.
Yet another body fell at her feet.
Absentmindedly, Sakura raised one blood-covered hand to her face in curiosity, suddenly overcome with the unexplainable urge to taste her victims' pain. Her pink tongue darted out to lick one crimson-coated finger, but she froze before they met.
The repulsive truth of what she was about to do had finally gotten to her. Sakura's hands shook, and she dropped to her knees on the thick branch she was standing on. She forgot about the impromptu battle that was raging around her, and studiously ignored the shocked faces of her attackers who were too shell-shocked at the fall of the invincible pinkette to use the opportunity.
Sakura's entire body convulsed and she felt bile rise up her throat. She had become like him. The sick, twisted bastard that was Orochimaru had polluted her mind, infecting it with his ideals and quirks. She was never like that before.
No, she agreed. But that's what I had agreed to become in order to become stronger and reach my destiny. A mindless, blood-thirsty killing machine.
Suddenly it all seemed so pointless. The missions she took with Sasuke, their spars, the blood, sweat and tears that went into her training. Her glazed eyes fell on the corpses below her. Who said she would never end up like that? Who said anyone could ever cheat death?
You can. You're immortal until you kill Pein.
I can only dream. Immortality. What a worthless idea. I will defeat Pein with my own power. Plus, I'm dying anyway and even you can't stop that.
I can't take it back. Just like Hidan can't un-convert from being a Jashinist, or Kakuzu get rid of his hearts. Immortality is forever. And you're deluding yourself. Your illness will not kill you before you finish off Pein. It will be a bother, but a harmless bother.
Sakura stood up. She regretted ever agreeing to this. Only now did she fully understand. There was no way she could ever fully ensure her survival. Even if she killed off all her enemies, more would come.
Sasuke appeared in her peripheral vision, and it seemed he still didn't understand. He was still fighting. And was stuck in a much nastier situation than hers. With a sigh, she reached for her special kunai. Just before Sakura threw the kunai to Sasuke's location and disappeared, she made a horizontal slash through the palm of her hand, watching as the blood bubbled up.
What's this?
A testimony against immortality.
Space-time Jutsus had always been her favourites. Being able to simultaneously disappear and reappear in a different place was the skill she had most admired when she was younger and had first heard of Minato Namikaze. The idea that he was able to save his comrades before the danger even appeared seemed like a heroic skill at the time, one Sakura swore she would master.
Of course, those were the petty dreams of the young, and when she finally mastered the Thunder God technique her thoughts hadn't been 'How many people can I save with this power?' but rather 'How many throats can I cut with this speed?'.
Her views had changed drastically over the years. She was no longer the innocent, delusional little girl that believed every word that came out of her father's mouth, but she was neither the ruthless killer who didn't care. She felt a bit unsettled at being unable to put herself under a certain category. On the outside she might look the same, but on the inside her inner turmoil equalled that of the chaos during the First Shinobi War.
Just who exactly am I?
Ignoring the nagging feeling that she just didn't know and she hated not knowing, Sakura appeared in front of Sasuke, her goal clear even in her confusion.
Save the bastard and get out of there alive.
She didn't care that by protecting Sasuke she would get in line of direct attack, all she wanted was to just get out of there and think. Think about her past, present, future, her regrets and decisions and drown herself in the never-ending pool of self-pity and depression. But not now. Now she had a job to do. Save her comrade and dear friend and haul ass away from there.
Sakura hissed as a particularly well-aimed kunai sliced a deep cut in her arm.
"Sasuke, we're getting the fuck out of here." She snarled. The Uchiha knew when to shut his mouth if he wanted to stay alive, so he wordlessly went with her request, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Just before they disappeared, Sakura saw the Copy Ninja's eyes widen at Saskue's almost protective hold, but the surprise soon vanished as he realised what they were about to do.
"Stop them!"
Too late…
"Shunshin no Jutsu!"
Sakura gasped as they tumbled down to the floor of the hideout. She'd modified the Shunshin in such a way that now it was actually a teleportation jutsu and not just a cover for high-speed travel. It took more chakra, but after using the modified version she was sure their attackers couldn't trace them.
She stood up and dusted herself off, eyes searching for Sasuke. When she found him, she realised he'd already stood up and was currently examining the cut on his chest where a shuriken had hit. It was shallow, but long, and Sakura knew Sasuke was already irritated, not because he's in pain, but because he wasn't able to dodge.
Che. He'll probably nag me to train with him again. Sasuke doesn't like failing.
But right now, even her inner thoughts and lack of the irritating Sage constantly invading her mind weren't enough to cheer her up.
The rosette was still trying to sort herself into a category. Categories were easier to deal with. She would know what she was, the pros and cons of being that way, and she could nurture her strengths and work on her weaknesses.
Suddenly, she froze. The word kept rolling over around in her head.
Weakness. Weak. Pathetic. Weak. Insecure.
Could that be it? Was that her category?
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Not even an hour ago, she'd collapsed on her knees in the middle of a freaking battle simply because she'd realized something she didn't like. Then, she'd teleported her and Sasuke out of the place under the noble pretence of 'Saving' her comrade. But was that really it? Why would she even think Sasuke needed saving if she wasn't insecure?
Hm. So that's really it.
Sakura felt like she was going to explode if she didn't talk to someone about it. Sasuke had listened to her all the times before, so why shouldn't she just talk to him?
Deciding that was the best option, Sakura walked over to her friend and stood facing him, while his back was to the wall.
"Hey… Sasuke? Can I talk to you about something?" Sakura cursed her wavering voice. No doubt Sasuke would notice.
Even if he noticed, Sasuke chose to ignore it, and instead gestured for her to continue.
"You know… back there, during the fight?" she started. Sasuke's eyebrow rose but he didn't comment for which she was glad. "I've been thinking… all I ever do is run away! I feel so weak and useless, like all those missions and training and spars we take on are for nothing! If all I can think about in a precarious situation is my overwhelming desire to turn on my heel and flee, what kind of ninja am I?" she was getting louder and louder with each sentence. "I envy you, you know? You never think of the odds, you stay with your feet firm and fight anyone that gets in your way! I can't do that! Why am I so-!"
The look in Sasuke's eyes cut her off. He looked amused, like her troubles were funny to him.
"Why do you insist on spewing ridiculous nonsense today?" he asked seriously, though with a teasing edge in his voice. "If there's anyone I know that's stronger than me, it's you Sakura. The fact that you wish to stay alive does not make you weak."
"Don't patronise me, Sasuke! If I'm as strong as you say, why did I get scared of the blood I'd spilled? Why did I turn my back on my enemies and flee? I'm a paper-ninja Sasuke! I can outwit the goddamn Hokage on paper, but I can't do shit in the field! All that training was used to shut up the little insecure voice in my head, but it seems that it'd been reborn! Fuck! What good ninja-!"
It seemed as though Sasuke did not like repeating himself, and Sakura found that she was once again interrupted, though this time in a much more pleasurable way. With speed even the rosette could be envious of, Sasuke spun them around and pinned Sakura to the wall, crushing his lips to hers.
The kisses were demanding everything from her and giving it all back, double the strength. Sakura found her knees buckling, and if it weren't for the wall and Sasuke's hands on her waist stabilizing her, she would have melted to the ground into a puddle of pink, Sakura-ish, aroused goo.
Sasuke broke the kiss first and leaned his forehead on Sakura's, his pants and gasps mixing with her own.
"You... talk too much." He gasped out, a smirk plastered on his handsome face.
Sakura took that as the end of the conversation. Sasuke was very headstrong, and any further discussions about Sakura's strength or general status in the field would have evolved into a nasty argument that Sakura did not feel like indulging in.
So, instead, she acted on what she did best and pushed her insecurities to the back of her mind, replacing them with a smile.
"You know you love it." She replied slyly, her voice teasing.
"Mhm." Sasuke hummed, and in an instant he was upon her once again.
Lips meeting, tongues battling for dominance, hands wandering and touching wherever they could, Sakura let her mind be overcome with wave after pleasurable wave of sensations she had never experienced before. Shifting her position against the wall, Sakura wrapped her legs around Sasuke's waist, his own hands moving to her bum to support her.
Feeling left out, Sakura moved her hands to Sasuke's chest, sliding them over his pecs and abdomen, absentmindedly tracing the muscles. At Sasuke's surprised, yet pleased gasp, she allowed a small smirk of satisfaction bloom on her face.
So, she thought dazedly, It seems that there are other ways to bring a person to their knees. Ways that do not involve sharp, pointy objects.
And thus, a new game had been born.
Sakura stood before Orochimaru, a scowl twisting her pale face into a grimace, not enjoying the snake's overconfident expression.
It was unusual for her to be summoned to Orochimaru without Sasuke. All the missions they took they took together, and it had been that way for the last two years.
"So, dear Sakura-chan~" he hissed, a sick, sadistic glee reflected in his yellow eyes.
"Stop." Sakura commanded, her eyes cold and uncaring. It was a façade, but there was no way she was going to show Orochimaru just how much her recent discovery had weakened her. "You do not deserve to speak to me with such familiarity. Drop the ~chan, you bastard."
"Hm," the Sannin mused, "interesting. You were more than happy for Sasuke-kun to speak to you that way." Noticing how Sakura's shoulders tensed at the mention of Sasuke's name, he smirked. "Oh, yes. I know everything. But really, Sakura-dear, you shouldn't get your hopes up. He's going to leave soon."
Orochimaru cackled gleefully. "Yes, very soon indeed. In a few months he'll be stronger, far stronger than you or dear Itachi-kun, and when he is, he will hunt down your precious Itachi all by himself, leaving you to rot here, without a single backwards glance." His tongue slid out to lick at his lips, making Sakura shudder with obvious repulsion. "And when he defeats Itachi, I will track him down and possess his body, and when it's all done, I will finally have the Sharingan at my disposal and the world at my feet."
His eyes flickered to her, the yellow orbs shining with insanity. "And you, dear Sakura-chan, will be left here, unwanted and forgotten, no more than a little broken doll without a purpose."
Sakura had to bite her lip so hard that she tasted her own blood, and recite the Shinobi Codex in her mind twice, before she was sure that she wouldn't attempt to strangle the despicable man so much that his eyeballs popped out.
When she felt like she could speak again, Sakura made sure to make it as venomous and hateful as she could muster. "Was there any particular reason you summoned me here, Orochimaru-dono, other than to prove just how much you wish for me to rid you of your pitiful life?" she asked.
Orochimaru chuckled and the rosette winced at the sound. "Oh, your fiery nature never fails to amuse me, Sakura-chan. But yes, there is a certain mission I wish for you and Sasuke-kun to take. However, you shall also take a fellow, ah, follower of mine, to make him see how real Oto ninja should behave." There was something about the way he said those last words that made Sakura suspect that it was something more than just a case of show-and-tell. Like he'd done something that displeased the snake Sannin. But she pushed the nagging feeling to the back of her mind, and instead concentrated on the scroll Orochimaru had tossed her.
"Shinji Kaori… chuunin… special abilities: chakra absorbtion techniques?" she mused with a raised brow. "Never mind. Age: 18… graduated academy aged 14, became chuunin last year…" Sakura raised her incredulous gaze to meet Orochimaru's. "You're sending a pathetic, inexperienced chuunin with us? He'll only get in our way!" she exclaimed.
"Well, you'll just have to deal with it." He smirked. "You leave in two hours."
Once on a mission, Sasuke had told her something she would never forget. They were badly outnumbered, surrounded by ANBU that were sent to kill on sight. Around fifty to two. Sakura had been planning to use her Shinrai Tensei technique, and then deal with the survivors in a way she saw fit. The chances of her survival were about 46%. Far less than she would've liked, and definitely not enough for Sasuke. That's why she ordered him to go; shrieked that no matter what, he needed, needed to get away!, but he just stood there, eyes blazing with determination.
And when she was about to shout again, he was suddenly at her side, his hand gripping her own, eyes glaring into hers, those pale lips calmly and surely, although the situation was anything but, saying the words she still remembered had shaken her to the core.
If there's anything that Konoha'd taught me, it's that a ninja that disobeys orders is trash, but the ninja that flees when he can stay and help is worse that trash.
But now was different.
Everything was more vibrant, the realisation that much clearer.
This was their worst situation yet.
And standing there, gazing at the scorched, deformed corpse of the Chuunin that she'd begun to call a teammate, Sakura understood.
They had gotten lucky. All those times, it wasn't skill, or power, or anything else but sheer luck. And it seemed that her luck had finally run out.
The mission Orochimaru had sent them on was a fluke. There was no scroll, no customer, only a battalion of ninjas waiting for them when they prepared to return.
Not friendly ninja either.
It seemed the Hidden Villages had formed a temporary alliance to track down and dispose of them. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Akatsuki, S-Rank Criminals, Missing-nin, killed more than they dared to count.
At least 300 ninja, all wearing masks, brandishing a weapon, radiating killer intent. None below Jounin level.
It was the beginning of the most memorable and thought-provoking battle Sakura had ever been in.
And the time she finally saw it.
Iwa, Kumo, Kuro, Suna, Cloud. Those were the headbands she had recognised. There were about five or six others, but representing such small villages they weren't listed anywhere Sakura would've normally looked.
But still, over three hundred ninja against three? Well, two now. The rosette was shaken, but she continued on, kunai after kunai, hit after hit, although there was nothing she would've liked more than to fall to her knees and sleep. Sleep sleep sleep.
There was only one way out. Sasuke's One Thousand Birds Current was a long range attack, but it ate over a third of his chakra. He was out of his comfort zone in long-range, outnumbered battles.
Sakura was not.
The cold realisation finally sunk in.
Sasuke had to battle Itachi. He had to. But in order to do that, he needed to be alive.
Sakura?
Not so much. True, she had a mission of her own – kill Pein. However with her, even if she died, Pein wouldn't live too long either. Jiraya-sama was onto him, and if it wasn't by the pervert's hand, then it would be by the blonde brat's. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. He did not have skill, but he had determination and potential.
So, self-sacrifice, anyone?
Sakura quickly flash-stepped to be closer to her raven teammate.
"Sasuke. When I say, you need to get out of here." She ordered. "This isn't a request. There is no way we can stay and survive. I know you know it. You're a clever boy." Her throat clogged up. "If I finish, I promise I'll come back to the base, and help you track Itachi. But for now," she swallowed. "Just trust me."
Sasuke gazed at her, battle momentarily forgotten. "Not if. When. When you finish, okay?" he asked.
Unable to say much more, Sakura nodded.
And they separated once again.
When the never-ending waves of shinobi stopped for a moment, Sakura didn't waste the chance.
"Shinrai Tensei!" the blast was the biggest she'd ever managed to conjure. "GO SASUKE!"
No question, no last, pleading look over the shoulder, no hesitation. At her shriek, Sasuke had turned on his heel and fled, forgetting about teleportation techniques by the sheer terror of the fight. Like a coward.
Suddenly, it made sense.
Cowards. That's who they were.
No.
No.
A small smirk made its way to her face. She got it backwards. They weren't cowards, they weren't weak.
They were shinobi.
Joyful realisation over, it was time to play.
"Cursed Seal; Level One." Sakura muttered. The markings began spreading over her skin, covering every square inch, giving her an inhumane chakra rush. "Level Two."
More beast-like than ever, and feeling happier than in a long while, she was ready.
If I die now, it'll at least be with a smile on my face.
..
Sakura panted. She was bruised and broken, bleeding profusely from all places imaginable. With the last bit of chakra she had left, she Shunshin'ed to the nearest village, the cool moisture known as rain hitting her body.
She didn't know how long she'd laid there, only that at some point two blurry shapes had appeared in her vision. Nothing else. The rest was overtaken by the unforgiving darkness.
"Is she dead?"
"No, but close."
"Shi, we have to save her."
"But you heard it yourself – she was already supposed to be dead."
"You really believed that? The Sakura we knew would never go without a fight."
"The Sakura we knew is long gone. It's been three years since the Exams. She'd changed."
"But she's still our teammate. We have to save her."
"You're right."
"I usually am."
…
Ta da!
I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but it was necessary. I apologise if Sakura's monologue-ish thought bored you, but that had to be over and done with.
I estimate it'll be about three or four chapters until the Pein invasion, and around seven till the ITACHI SITUATION. Then maybe the Tobi/Madara thingy. Keep tuned.
Also, would anyone dare to guess who the last two people were?
-Shadow-chan