A/N: Just like to say that some of this chapter will be separated into smaller parts for necessity's sake. No need to worry, it's still relatively long.

Chapter Five

Bonded

"What's happening to me?"She breathed.

Her doctor, grayed with maturity, studied her with somber eyes. There was a subtle amount of pity in his face that made his thoughts painfully clear. He couldn't help her. No one could.

Sakura made a sound of anguish, her head falling helplessly into her hands.

"I will try my best to explain."

Palms pressed tightly into the corners of the sink, she leaned towards the manifestation in the glass. Her reflection was nothing like it had been the previous day. Then again, she hadn't been on the edge of breaking the previous day either.

She pressed herself closer, blood pulsing angrily in her palms, forming bruises. The woman looking warily at her in the mirror couldn't have been her reflection. In view of the fact that, the woman appeared dead.

Her skin was extremely pale, covered in a fresh sheen of sweat. Her hair was lank as it stuck to her forehead and shoulders. Dark circles encased both eyes. And the eyes themselves…

While both eyes were starting to turn red from a lack of sleep where they should have been white – that was nothing compared to the irises. Whereas both eyes were the same mellow green, her left iris was different somehow, darker.

Leaning closer, she gasped. An inky black color, somehow familiar, was starting to dominate the green…almost as if her natural eye color was receding.

"Who are you?" If her reflection knew, it gave no indication of an answer.

Somewhere, the clock ticked. Sakura's eyes shifted instinctively towards it. It was just past two in the morning and she had yet to fall asleep. Pushing against the weight of her eye lids, she slugged down another gulp of caffeine.

She moaned quietly as each ticking of the clock resounded like a crack of thunder in her ears. Disgusted with herself, she pushed away the plastic container of coffee before closing her eyes.

Maybe if she just rested them. Even for a minute…

Danzo sunk to his knees, blood trickling from his mouth. He collapsed lifeless onto the dirt as he was kicked aside just as quickly. Wind raced past, as the sole surviving Uchiha ran towards the chakra that called to him.

That chakra, evil as it was, called to his senses. He knew exactly who it belonged to. The only question was how? What had the village done to anger him to the point of no return? He shouldn't care. As far as he was concerned, the village could burn. Maybe then they could come to understand just a slither of his pain.

Flickering just past a massive expanse of bodies, Sasuke came to a stop. Below him, Naruto was holding something in the air. He watched as whatever it was struggled. Eyes spinning, he pinpointed the figure immediately.

He had her. "Her" as in the insufferable girl who had pinned for his affections ever since they'd met. "Her" let out a piercing scream of agony as her body shuddered and then curved.

He knew despite his intention of leaving after he killed the one responsible for his hell-of-a-brother less-wasted-empty-life that he wouldn't be able to flee. Not when the broken woman on the ground suddenly morphed into one from his nightmares.

No, she wasn't his mother. He refused to let his mind twist the image of short pink hair into long locks of black. Forcing the image to blur and then recede all together, he was pulled back into the present by another scream.

Dry air gusted through her mouth as she screamed silently against the oak wood of her dining table. She had awoken herself; her attempt to scream had been stopped by the parchedness of her throat. Barely even awake, she felt the tug of sleep pull her under once again as her head collapsed back onto the table.

Not your mother, he thought to himself. It was like a mantra in his head, or at least a broken effort at one. She was…Sakura. And Sakura was dying.

Red, streams of it, teemed from her chest where a gaping hole lay. At best, she had merely minutes left until her body gave in. Unable to stand as an unnoticed shadow any longer, he flashed towards the blond's side, who was now somewhat in his right mind, and hooked his fingers around his shoulders.

"Move!"

It was easy enough to throw him into the opposite direction, almost as if he wanted to be stopped. A bit of light blue static leaked out into a weak current. It crackled and whipped the air until his hands found purchase against her chest.

Sakura bled and bled as she writhed and convulsed. Her eyes were red, not the bright green that he remembered them, and looked as though they were burning through her sockets.

Pressing a hand to the hole, he recalled something he had seen Kabuto do, his chakra pushed into the wound. She wouldn't feel it. Of course, his chakra control was only above average and the wound closed for the most part. It took little time to summon an undersized snake, using it as a tourniquet to bind her chest.

It hissed up at him, whereas Sasuke looked deeper at her broken body. Beyond the heavily scarred flesh, chakra thrummed inside her body. It was easy to see which was hers. Dark pink, almost magenta was clouded by boiling red chakra.

It almost hurt his eyes to look at the cursed substance but he strained them even more. Naruto's chakra was subsiding gradually.

All of this happened in a span of two minutes before he realized her heart was giving out. Wasting no time, he pressed his lips to hers. His lungs, strong and powerful, lent her its air. In turn, her body shuddered again.

His hands thumped against her chest as he timed his movements. Behind him, nearing footsteps approached. He had to leave now or it would be too late.

But he couldn't bring himself to leave the corpse of a girl he once knew behind. Because she was nothing more than a body struggling on its last string. He was wasting time. He knew it. But she had always been so fragile…so weak.

Still his hands thundered against her chest, pushing a dying heart. His lips pressed against hers again, forcing more air into her. Yet, he could taste the coppery flavor of her blood. Panicked by the sight, he realized her body was rejecting the oxygen.

Sakura sputtered and jerked as she drowned in her own life liquid. Instinctively, his hands cupped her head. The moment she stilled, his mouth was connected to hers again.

Her lips were an odd combination of iciness and flames. Her body was losing blood, leaving her lips cold. But the lost blood was currently spewing from her mouth, giving it a warm sticky feel that was still overshadowed by the coldness.

The feel and taste of her blood left him sick and out of breath. Her heartbeat had not picked up and her vitals were slowly fading despite his help. Everything became a whirlwind of color.

The sky-the clashing of metal- Naruto's screams of suffering – even the small motes of dust in the night air, faded into black.

He existed only with the broken girl in his arms. They alone made up his world. He was about to become a liar. All of the bonds, all of the bridges he had burned – were about to reconnect themselves.

He could never escape what he was about to do. Nor could she. They would be bound in a way that even the most intimate of lovers might envy.

He, Uchiha Sasuke, would give her some of his own life. And in return he would receive some of hers. It was simple enough to bite his thumb and puncture the skin. His hands banished the small serpent that was constricting the wound before he squeezed his bleeding thumb. One drop would be enough. Before he would complete the transfer, he swiped his other thumb across her chest.

Her blood was just as vital as his. A thin drop of scarlet trickled from his finger and into the wound. It sizzled where it met her flesh, her body jumpstarting. Her heart took off like the fiercest of birds as her eyes flew open.

Her eyes stared straight into his. They were green now, the color exactly as he remembered it being. Gone were the remnants of Naruto's chakra. Eyes never leaving hers, he picked up a discarded shuriken, and sliced open his left arm.

A swipe of his other thumb, wet with her blood, sealed the gash instantly.

Behind him, he heard the Hokage woman come to a standstill.

"She's alive," he heard her whisper.

Yes she was. It surprised and repulsed him to know that there was a sense of relief at the realization. It was decided then. The moment he chose to stay to save her, he knew what it would cost him.

Maybe they would be smart and kill him. Especially since he just took the life of one of the most prestigious men in the village. But, he had also saved a life as well.

"I know that you killed a man tonight," The current Hokage, one of the Sannin, whispered. But she only had eyes for her beloved apprentice. "And I don't care."

So he would be allowed to live. How gracious of her. What did they expect him to do? Jump up and clap for joy? He preferred death, seeing as there was nothing to live for anymore.

Turning to finally look upon the destruction, he was mildly surprised to see that he was being watched by a rescue party. Kakashi held up a heavily breathing Naruto, who could only stare transfixed at him.

Gently, he wrapped his hands under the curve of her knees and neck. He hoisted her into the air just as easily as he might lift a pillow.

The woman, or Tsunade as they called her, seemed to realize the significance of the moment. "Team Kakashi complete once more….never thought I'd live to see it."


Her most recent dream – or memory- left her drained for hours. Granted, it answered many of her questions; it also left her in shock. Whatever the cause, it had brought back some of her own memories of that night.

The experience of dying was something that she would never forget. Not even if she lived for an eternity. It was just all the more painful that her best friend had been the one to almost kill her and it took the man she loved to save her.

How pathetic, she scoffed at herself; she was for still being in love with him. She had felt his emotions after all. Heard his every thought like it was being played a loud just for her. Although he did save her life, she had also felt the disgust.

Akemi had shed some light on her situation earlier. Cellular memory was a type of theory that was based on the assumption that memories could be transferred to another being through the use of organs or cells. Although Sasuke had not given her one of his organs, he had used some jutsu that transferred blood. Blood had cells. And apparently cellular memory still applied to it.

However, the specifics of his jutsu were still unknown. Akemi had only guessed that whatever linkage was between them- it was purely emotional. If he could not keep his emotions under control, she would most likely experience them.

If he were having bad dreams – which he must be because she was freaking having them!- then she would see it all. His tears would be hers.

So, she stood outside his door, her nerves sky high. What was she going to say? Surely, he must know everything. Why hadn't he told her? Was he still mad at her?

The pink haired woman stopped her fist before it could connect with the surface of his door. Instead, she dug into her purse. Once equipped with a pen and a scrap of paper, she scribbled down something that she should have said a long time ago.

Thank you, it read.

Of course, he would know what she was talking about. She had never really thanked him for saving her life and he must think her cocky by now. Sakura slipped it under the door, and fled the perimeter.

Knowing that she was bonded to him in such a way and still not being able to identify if they were friends or not, scared her. She just didn't know how she could face him anymore.

Knees tucked under her chin, Sakura contemplated her life. Her seat, under the evening sun was relatively comfortable. She was visiting the neighborhood park. All around her, little kids were frolicking and having snow ball fights.

It was pretty sad to admit that she did not fit in anywhere and was reduced to sitting in a children's playground. Despite her popularity before, now people seemed to shy away from her, as if she were contaminated. And that was very well the reason. Of course everyone would know Kyuubi's chakra had almost killed her.

It had been inside of her. Like Naruto, she was now sort of an outsider. Or maybe she was being stupid and paranoid. Maybe it all really was just inside her head.

When the seat next to her was filled, she merely glanced away.

"Hiding out?" A teasing voice asked.

Kind of.

"Hello to you too, Genma." She let her eyes drift towards his handsome face. He was dressed warmly, like herself, in a coat and scarf.

He chuckled, the senbon in his mouth bobbing. "I was getting there, you know. But hello, Sakura," he flourished with a wave of his hand. "Now tell me why you've been here all day."

"How'd you know that?"

"Because you just admitted to it?" He grinned at her inflamed cheeks. "Reverse psychology's a bitch."

Instead of getting angry, she just smiled. "You're cunning, old man. But," He watched her expectantly. "What're you doing here?" Her question seemed to make him smile.

"I live about a block from here and as I was just strolling by, I caught sight of something pink – and here I am. But what are you doing here? Man troubles?" He added slyly.

Sakura went pink. "No! Well…yes…but not like you're thinking."

He nodded seriously, yet was able to look amused. "I see. So who's the lucky guy that captured your attention. Hey now!" He exclaimed at her warning look. "I was just joking; I know you said it wasn't like that."

She leaned her head against her drawn up knees. "It's not, believe me." Anyone could hear the remorse in her voice.

"And you are disappointed that it's not?" Apparently Genma hadn't missed it either. Despite his usual flirtiness he seemed concerned for her. To a certain extent anyways.

"No, I'm confused about how to approach him. I mean I just learned something truly startling about him and I feel as if I can't look at him the same."

"Well you should. Whatever transpired between you two is not enough to break the bond you share." How ironic his words were. That certain bond had been burned and broken years ago only to be replaced by one of blood.

"Tell me this Genma, when did you get so knowledgeable about relationships? I always pegged as a seducer and not as a gentleman. Guess I was wrong, eh?"

He chuckled, a few chocolate locks falling into his eyes. "A popular misconception, miss. If you must know who the real Casanova is - it is Kakashi."

"No!" Sakura gasped. "Not my sensei!"

"Your ex-sensei," He corrected. "Is just a ladies' man, sorry to knock him off that high pedestal of yours."

"Seriously?"

"Nah, it's really Gai."

They exploded into laughter, a few weary mothers steering their kids away in concern. It was amazing how he managed to pull off the senbon look when on anyone else it would have been tacky. She supposed it was part of his charm.

"Well," Sakura sighed. "I do have another question for you, Genma."

"Shoot."

"Why is everyone avoiding me like the plague?"

His brown eyes flashed angrily at her question, his jaw hardening. "Don't worry about them Sakura," was all he answered.

"Why won't you tell me?" She demanded furiously.

The mask of anger melted away and smoothed back into his normally playful expression. "Forgive me. I just get a little worked up at such narrow-mindedness. I've seen what they did to Naruto when he was growing up as a kid and it ain't pretty. I think that ever since that old geezer died," He was obviously referring to Danzo. "Or murdered I should say by that teammate of yours, they've been looking for someone to blame. And they're too scared to actually show their anger at him so they turned to you."

Sakura froze. "Me…why?"

He sighed heavily. "Because they think you made him return."

Upset, Sakura jumped to her feet, prepared to grab the nearest civilian and snap their neck. Genma was hot on her heels. "Hey," He soothed as he yanked her towards him. "You know the truth and that's all that matters, right?"

Did her own realizations matter? Yes and no. It did help to calm her temper but what she knew and what the people knew were two different things. She knew, courtesy of her dream last night, that he had returned because of yet another lust for vengeance. She had felt it, that horrible thrill when he had snapped Danzo's neck. She had been happy.

"Right," she echoed despite her inner turmoil. "But back to my original problem – what am I going to do?"

"I told you. You just face him dead on and let go of all this sadness and anger. It's not a good look for you."

She laughed in spite of herself. "So I've been told."

"Besides, if you don't find him first, he'll find you. I promise you that." His brown eyes twinkled down at hers.

"You think so?"

"Are you kidding me? A knockout like you only has to glance at a man and they'll succumb. Sasuke may be cold and all things evil but he isn't blind."

She blushed, stammered, and then gasped as he mentioned the name she had been avoiding. "How'd you know?"

He laughed albeit a little ruefully. "I'm not blind either."

Annoyed at his observation skills, she hurriedly turned her face to the side to hide her mismatched eyes. If he was as keen as he just revealed himself to be, he would have noticed her slowly darkening green eye.

Genma smiled; though she had a feeling he had noticed the change after all. "You know, I have been rather rude to him because he abandoned us. Does that make me a terrible person?" She questioned, her face thoughtful.

"No," He whispered as his fingers tucked a fluttering piece of hair behind her ear. "It makes you human."

Dashing up the sidewalk and towards her apartment building, she took notice that the air seemed somewhat different. She brushed it off as one of her many symptoms of paranoia. The walkway was well lit by ground lamps, the sky overhead a navy blue color.

It was a surprise however when she had no need to use her key; her door was unlocked. So it wasn't all in her head, someone had actually broken in. She crept silently into the house, closing the door softly behind her.

For an added measure of safety, she picked up the small vase on the end table by the door and tiptoed into the living room. Of course she didn't need the object to protect herself, but what good would it do to waste her chakra on some measly thief?

"You're welcome."

The vase slipped deftly from her lax fingers as she pivoted on her feet to face the voice. It crashed into hundreds of tiny facets on the hardwood flooring of the entry way into her living room.

She was surprised, to say the least, when she caught sight of Sasuke leaning against her door, his hands just barely in his pockets. If she squinted hard enough, there were signs of insomnia etched into his features. Genma was right after all. She had not been fast enough in her pursuit to seek him out; so he had took the initiative to find her first.

How thoughtful of him.

TBC

A/N: Sakura really is big on sarcasm for some reason.

Surmise