Disclaimer: lots of swearing towards the end of the chapter. But you're all used to that, right?
Chapter 3: Wake Up Call
x-x-x
They followed him silently the next day, with not so much as a five-second argument between Karin and Suigetsu that Sakura had become so accustomed to. It was as if the pressure around them was so strong that it was forcing any words one might dare speak back down their vocal cords.
She followed in the back, constantly re-assessing the situation. She woke up, expecting it all to be a dream that morning, only to find herself surrounded by the same living nightmare. It was all real. She had left Naruto, Sai, Yamato…all of Konoha behind for this. What was "this" anyways? Sasuke? A man who only was dragging her along for her abilities, while she followed him for his presence, for his unrequited love?
She scolded herself for being so pathetic. Regret was sinking in deeper than ever before, creating a new feeling in her heart that even she couldn't understand. What was this? The desire to grab Sasuke by the shirt and punch him in the face; never before had she felt such rage towards her former teammate, but it was here and now, brimming at the surface, just waiting for a chance to escape.
The chance came as Karin suddenly spoke up. "I sense three large amounts of chakra heading towards us." she announced, causing the rest to stop in their tracks.
"Konoha?" Suigetsu asked, pulling the large katana off of his back, readying for an attack.
"No…they resemble Kumogakure's chakra signature."
"Aw man, not these guys. Seriously, what is it with people and their Jinchuriki. You'd think we're taking their Hokage or something. Most villages are glad to get rid of them."
Instantly she thought of Naruto and how most of his younger days were spent being scorned and hated by the village. Things had certainly changed.
In her chair, Tsunade slammed her clenched fist on the desk as she hung her head, forcing a dent into the smooth woodwork. Naruto, Sai and Yamato stood behind it, all looking away, with even shizune enraged. Through clenched teeth and furrowed, angry brows they could hear her curse her youngest apprentice.
"How could she?" Shizune grappled in disbelief.
"Er, Hokage-sama, if it's any consolation, the villagers nearby said they saw her being dragged along in what looked to be against her will. We have reason to believe that Uchiha Sasuke is holding her hostage." As Yamato explained, Naruto clenched his fists impossibly tight.
"Sakura could get away if she wanted," was Tsunade's snap as she raised her eyes to look at them
"But didn't Sakura…erm, love Uchiha Sasuke?" Sai spoke up, "I read in a book that when people are in love, they want to be together. If she loves him, it would make sense that she wouldn't want to leave him, even if he kidnapped her, right?"
Tsunade rubbed her forehead, "Yes, but it's not that simple, Sai. Even if she is in love with him, he is the enemy, and as a shinobi, she has the responsibility of putting her duties before her emotions." She folded her hands, "in not doing so, she has betrayed Konoha."
"So what if she left with him because she loved him? It's like when he left to go to Orochimaru for power. But still, we're determined to bring him back." Naruto erupted, unable to stand the constant criticism of his best friend. "So she messed up, and I fully intent to beat Sasuke to a pulp, but we're still going to bring them back, and I'll personally make sure of it." He stared them down with such determined eyes, it could have been easily mistaken for a death glare.
They were all silent at the blonde's outburst until Tsunade sighed, "I believe in you Naruto, you know that. But the thing is that the Raikage wants Sasuke's head in turn for his brother. The same thing happened when Hiashi Hyuuga protected Hinata from being abducted by one of Kumogakure's men and ended up killing the man. The ambassadors from Kumogakure denied the attack and insisted that Hiashi be put to death for killing their man. They're an unreasonable bunch." She closed her eyes, folding her hands in front of her face, "and they want us to find Sasuke and kill him and his team."
"Not that I disagree that he deserves it…" she trailed off, opening one eye at Naruto, "but being that he also took out Orochimaru, and that he has information on Akatsuki, I also have my reasons to capture him alive."
"Why do you think he teamed up with Akatsuki though?" Naruto asked just as the door to the Hokage's room opened.
"Because," a woman with grey hair entered, "Someone must have told him the truth about Itachi." Tsunade internally groaned, but for the elders to be visiting her –usually the other way around- meant there was grounds for concern.
"What do you mean the truth?" Naruto asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the two dried prunes.
"Itachi didn't massacre the Uchiha clan out of spite. He was working with us as a double agent to watch the clan; when it turned out they were planning a coup de tat lead by none other than his father, we ordered Itachi to kill them all in order to keep peace in the village and prevent a 4th shinobi war." The old man following behind her explained.
Tsunade's eyes widened. She hadn't been told about this, "But Uchiha Itachi was in ANBU, so the only one who could command him was the Hokage. Are you saying the third ordered him to kill his own family?"
"That's exactly what we're saying, Tsunade-hime." The female elder explained, "But Itachi couldn't bring himself to kill Sasuke." She snorted, "Things would have been so much easier if he just had. We wanted to get rid of Sasuke when he was young, knowing something like this would happen, but the third was too soft and wouldn't allow it."
"But the bigger issue here is, who told Sasuke?" the other elder pointed out, "Obviously there's someone in Akatsuki who knew the truth and used it to get him to join them."
"You…you mean Itachi was a good man?" Naruto asked dumbfounded, completely missing the point.
"Most peaceful man in the world. He knew that if the Uchiha's were to try and overtake the village, it would put Konoha in a state of instability, and other villages would try to take advantage of the situation. That's why he did what did."
"But I don't understand…why would telling Sasuke the truth make him join Akatsuki?" Sai asked.
"There is…a possibility that there is one other Uchiha left."
"Another one?"
"Uchiha Madara."
Tsunade's eyes widened, "He's dead! Shodaime took him out, or did you forget? There's no wa—"
"Actually, I believe they're right." Kakashi interrupted her as entered through the window, eyes still cast on his orange icha icha paradise book. "Naruto, remember the akatsuki member with the orange mask?"
"Yeah, the one we couldn't hit?"
"You remember well." Kakashi tucked the book in his pouch and finally looked up, "when I got a glance of the one eye that was visible…it was identical to the sharingan. I did a little bit of research on the Uchiha clan and learning he was-is- the most formidable Uchiha, I wouldn't be surprised if he's still alive. With my one sharingan I can create a vortex, sending people into another dimension. It would be no great feat for the greatest sharingan master that ever lived to be able to jump time and space with two eyes"
"Also, Madara was the only one who could control all the tailed beasts. If Akatsuki is trying to collect them all, they would need someone who can seal them and tame them. Madara is the only man who can." The man with the grey beard and glasses explained
"So now we deal with not only Sasuke, but Madara?" Tsunade rubbed her forehead for the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes, letting out an exasperated sigh
"Sasuke isn't just going to come with us nilly willy." Kakashi added, "We've already gone through numerous attempts to bring him back forcefully."
"So you're saying we should coax him back emotionally, Kakashi-senpai?" Yamato asked
"From what I know about Sasuke, that's about the only way to get to him. Eh, Naruto?" he threw the blonde an understanding, sideways glance.
"There's one more problem with Sasuke knowing the truth." Homura added
"You're assuming he wants your heads on a platter?" Tsunade asked.
"We're quite positive. The kid is brash and run by emotions." He shook his head, "You'd think he would just make up his mind about who he wants to kill."
Naruto was at a loss. Sure, he wanted to beat some sense into his old teammate, but he couldn't stand the elders talking about Sasuke like he was some psychotic enemy. And if the third hadn't interfered, the elders would have killed Sasuke before Naruto got the chance to know him and become best friends with him. He was talking to the true murderers, and quite honestly, Naruto didn't blame Sasuke for wanting to exterminate them.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Tsunade asked.
"Kill him and Madara." The woman replied simply.
"HELL NO!" Naruto lashed out, "Madara? Sure, why not. But I won't let you lay a hand on Sasuke. Why is everything always doom and gloom with you two? And everyone is sick of you cold hearted jerks; you wanted to take an innocent life to protect your own back then, and you still want to now. I'd much rather take yours in order to protect his." He growled.
"So typical of a beast." The male elder shook his head. "Such irrationality and murderous intent."
Naruto's brows furrowed impossibly tight as he grasped the elder by neck of his robe, staring into the wrinkled old face, "You want to say that a little louder?"
"I said, so typ—" he began, but Naruto had already raised his fist.
"NARUTO. Stop it." Tsunade yelled. "Fragile antiques will die eventually. Don't put it on your record."
The blonde relaxed, stepping a few feet back, still glaring at the two.
"So what will it be Tsunade-hime? Are you going to be soft and let the village fall apart or do your duty?"
She closed her eyes, "I will have ANBU guard you two and your house, we will see what we can do about Madara, but as for killing Uchiha Sasuke, I refuse. He is more valuable to us captured and alive than dead."
The elder female narrowed her eyes, causing the wrinkles in her forehead to crease deeper, "You're a coward, Tsunade." She shook her head, heading out of the room, "It will be your downfall."
"And don't bother with the ANBU. A single Uchiha brat isn't going to take us down so easily, even if he does possess mangekyo." The man exited, shutting the door behind him.
Once the two had exited, Tsunade let out a deep sigh. "I want you three to hunt out Sasuke and Sakura. And just…see what you can do."
"Osssu! I'll bring them back no matter what!" Naruto beamed with determination, "Don't you worry, Tsunadebaa-chan."
The blonde haired woman rubbed her temples, "will you stop calling me that?"
"We will not fight them."
"Are you crazy, Sasuke? What are we going to do? Stand here and let them beat us up?" Suigetsu pointed his sword at the Uchiha.
"We're going to run, for now." He turned to Sakura, " Create a gap in the earth."
"Hai." She nodded, thankful the chance to release her anger. Focusing her chakra in her fist, she concentrated as she threw her fist behind her, then slammed it on the ground. Glaring at earth as if it was Sasuke himself, the earth began to split apart, creating a large ravine.
"Suigetsu, use your abilities to create water in the bottom of this." He instructed, and the nymph like ninja did as told. Now, in the middle of the forest, they had an outlet of escape and decent place to hide.
Karin, rendered speechless once again, followed her teammates as they ran down the side of the newly-formed ravine. At the bottom, Suigestsu enclosed them in a bubble-like shield—much like the one Zabuza had trapped Kakashi in—and sunk them underwater, letting the river carry them away. The pressure of the water served to lengthen the ravine just far enough so that it connected perpendicularly to one already present.
The three ninja chasing them, not noticing the new ravine, merely leapt over it and continued in the direction they were heading through the dense forest.
"You are such a Leaf ninja." Suigetsu shook his head as they rode inside the artificial bubble, "when will I get to chop off some limbs?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "needless battle will have more of them after us. It's best to have them headed in the wrong direction and the water will get us where we need to go faster."
Silently, they floated downstream under the cloak of the water above them until the depth of the water receded. They were left standing in a mere puddle of water, which filtered off into tiny trickles in all different directions between through corroded rocks. The grey sandstone earth that surrounded them was alive with various trees and algae, which served to darken the cave-like crevice further and humidify the air. As they walked through the ravine, it became even narrower, barely wide enough for one person to get through.
When they emerged out of the canyon, they were faced with a nice view of the bleak grey sky, a large, ominous cliff, and the sharp rocks that created an uneven terrain, which they were to cross in order to reach their destination. Which was were, exactly?
As Sasuke was prepared to venture the earth, Suigetsu sat down on a large boulder, sighing tiredly "Can we take a break, man? I'm tired!"
"You're always tired! Now get off your lazy butt and move!" Karin scolded.
"Hey…life actually exists out here!" he pointed off into the trees they were surrounded by.
They turned to see where he beckoned, finding a quaint little shack all very well-built by the looks of it. "We can see where we are"
"You really think some stranger is going to give a bunch of guys with Akatsuki cloaks directions like an old buddy?" Karin raised an eyebrow.
"So we just toss them aside." Sui suggested, "It's not like we were ever really a part of Akatsuki, just working along with them to get them what they wanted."
Sasuke nodded, "We'll go see. Everyone toss their cloaks over here; we'll pick them up when we come out."
Being the only one without an Akatsuki cloak, she watched as everyone of Eagle dropped their cloaks by a large, moss covered tree. She couldn't help but be perturbed at her 'leader's' instructions; The Sasuke she remembered would have never bothered with something such as this and would instead rely on his senses for direction. She could only grapple what his ulterior motives were.
With the rest of his comrades and Sakura behind him, he stood on the dark, moistened, yet splintery wood of the front porch as he knocked firmly on the front door of the shack. As always, Sakura was amazed by his ever-present calm strength; while nerves ran up her as if her chakra were energized, Sasuke breathed easily, shoulders relaxed, chin up in almost a daring manner.
The door slowly opened to reveal a young woman a little older than Sasuke, perhaps in her twenties, but still quite lovely. Both females in the team tensed, Karin visibly, Sakura internally.
"Come in you poor children!" She beckoned them as they all wondered what gave her the ability to call them children.
"No thank you, we're just wondering where we are, that's all." Sasuke explained.
"I know you are, Sasuke of the Uchiha clan." She smiled warmly. "But I won't tell you until you let me do a reading for you all."
He raised an eyebrow, "How do you know my name?"
"The same way I knew you were coming." She opened the door wide and stepped aside to hold it open, "Now come, come! I just made some tea for you all."
Stepping in warily, Sakura followed Sasuke as he seemed to be curious about this woman. Indeed, everyone was. She was a psychic, from the looks of it. Explains living in the middle of nowhere. Probably cast out of her village, most likely. Sakura thought to herself.
They sat themselves around a large table on comfortable silk pillows. The woman with medium-length blonde hair poured a soft green tea into ornate glass cups each decorated with a sign of the zodiac. Sakura noted how she looked like a regular shinobi, minus the corresponding hitate of a designated village; had her hair and eyes been a few shades lighter and face a little narrower, she could have passed as Ino's identical twin. Setting the steaming kettle on a hot-plate in the middle of the table, the young blonde took her seat among them, looking at each intently.
"Excuse me, miss, but you haven't told us your name." Sakura asked politely.
"Oh, how rude of me. Naturally, I know all your names, I forget you don't know mine." She laughed "I am Shimizu Arisa." She bowed, "It is my honor to be in the presence of such great shinobi." Looking up, she glanced at Sasuke and Sakura, a flash of sadness in her eyes, which Sasuke immediately caught.
"Please, if you could just 'read us' and tell us where we are." Sasuke asked patiently enough, yet the rest couldn't deny the annoyance in his voice.
"Very well, if you four would please step outside the room, I would like to talk with Uchiha-san in private."
Sakura stood up first, then Suigetsu, Juugo, and lastly Karin, who shot a menacing glare at the blonde fortune-teller. Arisa merely ignored it.
Outside the room, Karin pressed her ear against the wall, ignoring Suigetsu who shook his head in disgust. "Y'know, you can just ask Sasuke what she said later."
Not hearing anything, she crossed her arms, "Two problems with that. One, you know Sasuke, like he's going to tell us? Two, I wanna make sure that she doesn't try to make any moves."
Outer Sakura remained calm, sitting against the wall opposing the room. Inner Sakura couldn't deny that she for once agreed with Karin.
"Aren't you a little curious, Suigetsu-kun?" Sakura asked timidly.
"Hm!" Karin set her hands on her shapely hips in victory. "See, little goody-two-shoes wants to know too!"
Sakura growled, "I am NOT a goody-two-shoe!" she tightened her fists, "I am a chunin kunoichi from Konoha. I have seen death, I've been up to my elbows in blood from the surgeries I've performed, I left the people I cared for the most for a scum bag that treats me like I don't exist." Sakura stood up and gripped the collar of Karin's shirt, "And if you want to insult me one more time, I won't hesitate to kill you." She glared, gathering chakra in her other fist
Karin narrowed her eyes, "Try it, Baita*. It'll be the last thing you do."
When Suigetsu noticed the blue aura surrounding Sakura's fist and his eyes widened. She's not going to do it is she? As Sakura brought her fist back to wind up for a punch he shouted, "Wait! Sakura-chan, don't!"
Sakura turned to look at him, releasing Karin from her grasp.
Karin flattened out her shirt in front as Sakura stood there, stunned; desperately failing to comprehend what had just happened. She had totally lost it, totally let out every emotion building up inside her, and was ready to let out every drop of her chakra onto the redhead in her hands. Had Suigetsu not stopped her, she would have killed Karin for sure.
"And Karin! Hara guzuchi o tataku na!*" He sighed, "Honestly, you let your mouth run way too much."
Narrowing her eyes, Sakura walked past the red head out of the narrow hallway, bumping shoulders with her as Karin refused to move out of the way.
"I swear to god, girls are such a pain in the ass." Suigetsu shook his head as Sakura rouinded the corner and proceeded to walk out of the shack. The front door closed with a slam, shaking the entire shack.
Outside, Sakura leaned her forehead on the damp wooden beam that held the front porch up. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she cried silently. She disgusted herself, but there was nothing she could do about it. She was still weak—every time things got difficult, she'd lose it. She cried after Sasuke in their fight with Haku, She cried as she held him when the curse seal first began to take over during the Chunin exams—that time she could only cry out to Naruto to help them. She cried for him when he left, she cried for him when he was gone, And now, even as he's here with me, I still cry for him
And Naruto…
Oh how she's cried for him too. When she saw him all bandaged up in the hospital, after his fight to bring Sasuke back to her…it broke her heart more than she would ever let on. When they first fought Kabuto and he was about to take Naruto's life, she cried for him too. When he went Kyuubi form, completely losing all sense of self, she cried for him to come back. And now, even though he's always been there for me, I abandoned him for my selfishness. I left him to feel the heartache of not only one loss but two.
The tears poured down her cheek in rapid torrents, unable to hold them back. There was nothing she could do at this point but cry, and god damn, she needed to.
"Still so quick to cry, eh Sakura-chan?"
She could still Naruto's teasing voice as he would once again rush to protect her.
How weak am I? I've always told myself I'd be the one to save them. As she held onto the beam, she curled her hand into a fist, pulling her chin up and taking a deep breath. She wiped away her tears on the back of her hands, sniffling away the last bits of self-pity and sulking. I will protect them. I'll bring Sasuke back and I'll make sure Akatsuki doesn't get their filthy hands on Naruto.
Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath and exhaled. No more crying. There's no turning back, so I'll just have to find a way to deal with it. Inner Sakura patted her on the back.
The front door opened behind her and the turned, expecting to see Karin or Suigetsu. Instead Sasuke stood there, looking exceptionally menacing. Aw shit. Karin probably told him what I did…I'm in for it now.
Translations:
Baita: slut
Hara guzuchi o tataku na!: shut the f*ck up!
Figured these would be more fun in Japanese! Anyways, this is totally going to deviate from where the manga is now. Konoha isn't going to be attacked…yet. I'm not sure if it will in the future. But no training with fugaku, so that'll be different. Oh, and in my story the eight tails doesn't get away—they seal him for good. Maybe I'll make a point to note this in the story later on.
At any rate, I'm sorry for the delay in updating. I just got done writing a 14 page paper for my AP English 12 class and I am still grappling for ideas for a short story we have to write by December 1st. (If only we could write a fanfiction! I'm horrible at original stories!) Anyways, updates will probably be less frequent in these next few months with the holidays and midterms coming up. This is my apology in advance!
(P.S- thank you everyone for your kind reviews! You guys are what inspire me to keep writing n.n)