Title: Rebuild
Full Summary: Somewhat AU. Following Pein's Invasion and Uchiha Sasuke's return, Haruno Sakura struggles to cope as Konoha struggles to rebuild itself. The terrifying, familiar poison of yesterday's past is back. Learning how to trust again is not an easy task - especially when her life is a spin-cycle of betrayal. Bang and beat, rinse and repeat.
Pairing: SasuSaku
Kenta: "healthy/strong"
Inspiration: We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris) - Rihanna, Born to Be Wasted - 009 Sound System, My Shooter (Long Edit) - Groove Cutter, The Listening - Lights, Paradise - Coldplay, Sleepyhead - Passion Pit (Starsmith Remix feat. Ellie Goulding), Me & You - Dj Suraci & Spins, Amazing - Inna, Cry For You (Radio Mix) - September, Drumming Song - Florence + The Machine, Last Ones Standing (Doctor P Remix) - Example
Your mind is on fire but it's not enough.
This gun's blowin' up, it's just a warning shot, this plane's taking off on a terror run, this night's gonna end like a missile drop; we were born to be wasted.
Baby, out loud - knew that it would come to this. Ain't worth livin' if you can't get your kicks.
~009 Sound System
Sakura somersaulted over her target, daggers ablaze in a warrior's fury. She slashed at him as she tumbled overhead, but he parried, and they shot sparks through the night. Metal clashed over and over again, ringing out through the trees. Sakura panted, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. An adrenaline-filled smile spread slowly on her face, and she grinned with the challenge.
"I kind of need you alive," she admitted, rolling a shoulder as she dove around him, flicking shadow shuriken his way. He dodged, but didn't catch the second set masked by the first. He grunted in pain and ripped them out of his right arm. Sakura raised an eyebrow; "That was incredibly stupid of you." He didn't deign to answer, and she simply shrugged, dancing around him in a blaze of metal, left and right, from the front and behind. He blocked nearly all of them, dark eyes on fire as they met hers. She shuddered with the memory, tangled up in eyes darker than his, the color of oil spills. The spell was broken as he caught her unguarded, leaving her with a thin slice across her stomach. She'd dodged nearly just in time, catching the serrated blade on her skin. She hissed in pain, kicking away from him and passing a glowing hand across the front of her belly. "For such an excellent fighter, you sure do have a lot of flaws," she pointed out.
"Are you normally this talkative?" His voice was deep and gruff, and nothing like the smooth, baritone tone Sakura knew. She shook her head and blinked away the daze, angry with herself. This man wasn't Sasuke, she reminded herself - just similar. Sakura ignored him and smiled underneath her mask, not that he could see it.
"You do know that using a serrated blade could become potentially fatal in battle? Imagine yourself, surrounded by five of me - you would stand no chance. In time that it would take to pull that serrated sword out of bone and flesh - especially a fatal rib-cage hit, you'd be dead." Sakura sent three kunai whistling his way; he dodged them all. But she could see that his arm was giving him some trouble - he was no medic nin. The battle was slowly turning in her favor, she saw, as she slashed and parried and lunged and flew. And finally, as the rain began to pour and as thunder started to boom overhead, she caught and twisted his arms behind him and brought him to his knees. "I win," she whispered in his ear, grinning with exhilaration. When they finally stood, both drenched and soaked to the bone, he bound by chakra manacles on his wrist, he followed her through the undergrowth. His chakra was leeched away into the cuffs, and he gave a sigh of irritation as he brought up both hands to brush back his dark hair. Sakura found a little cave buried in the side of the mountain where they could take respite from the violent storm, tucking their backs to the wall as the wind howled outside. Sakura lit a fire and slipped out of her soaked vest, laying it behind her. She ran her hands through drenched rosette locks turned crimson by the water. They warmed by the fire in silence for a while before curiosity got the better of her. She left the wooden mask on, surveying her captive with bright eyes. "What's your name?"
"Kenta," he said, dark eyes unreadable and trying to fix on hers through the slits in her mask. "You?"
"Sakura," she said wryly, and thought she saw a sliver of an amused smile.
"So, are you always this friendly with your prisoners?" Kenta asked, and Sakura snorted.
"No, just bored." She grabbed the mission scroll and unfurled it, perusing the contents with narrowed eyes. "So, Kenta - do you happen to know why my village wants you badly to warrant an S-Class mission just for you, and alive? I've never heard of you before, and that says a lot for someone in my position." She wasn't being boastful or arrogant; it was simply fact. She scrutinized his outfit, trying to pick out details that would pinpoint toward a particular affiliation, but found none. She noticed as his hair dried it was wavy, and his features were more rugged than she'd thought.
"Well... I'm rogue..." he said, and that was all the information he was willing to part with. Sakura didn't blame him.
"You're a great fighter," she complimented, "a village could certainly benefit from a Shinobi like you. Why make your life harder?" Kenta took a long moment before he deigned to answer, staring at her with dark, unreadable eyes. Sakura did not waver, did not flinch or recoil - she stared right back, challenging and strong. Kenta was secretly impressed, and for this he decided to answer.
"The village I came from... it wasn't the best." Sakura nodded, satisfied with his answer. She knew that he could have been lying, but the answer was good enough for now. He did not have to elaborate. Sakura had seen the conditions of the Village of the Mist, she had seen their people starving and dying on the streets, shinobi foul and cold. She had a hunch that he was from the Mist, and remembered Zabuza's tale.
"You seem awfully complacent about being captured by an enemy village," Sakura mused, bright eyes roving over his form. "Unless, of course, the Council is seeking out a deal or a bargain from you. It wouldn't surprise me. Those fickle bastards have yet to scrape any lower." Kenta raised an eyebrow at the hostility directed at the leaders of her own village. Sakura sensed his slight bemusement and gave him a wicked smile, eyes glittering and crinkling at the corners.
"The only leader I follow is the Hokage of this village, and those who operate under orders. The network of shinobi under the council are... untrustworthy. I advise you to be cautious when dealing with them. Although they're old crones, they're very meticulous and clever at loopholes and planning. They, after all, have nothing better to do with their filthy, traitorous lives. Everything they do is for the benefit of themselves, none for the village nor the shinobi. They will use you until you have nothing left to offer, and then they will kill you without fulfilling their end of the bargain." Sakura shot the man a cold smile, contempt glimmering in her eyes. Kenta eyed her for several heartbeats, and he, too, spilled his secrets.
"I have information on Uchiha Sasuke." Kenta didn't expect the woman across from him to freeze, body locked ramrod straight, fists clenching in her lap. Sakura threw her head back and laughed, harsh and cold.
"Clever," she remarked coolly, and Kenta studied her, trying to figure out what connection this woman had to the Uchiha, and why she'd reacted so at his divulgence of information. She grinned at him, terrible and wicked. "The Council is trying to get to Sasuke before we do," she mused with deceptive calm, locking fearsome eyes with the shinobi. "Well played... but not good enough. They are trying to kill him before we get to him, before we do something they don't like. They don't know what we have, but they know it's nothing good. They blatantly disobeyed the negotiation." Sakura smirked. What the Council didn't know about was the final sealing jutsu placed upon the scroll containing the details of Itachi's last mission and the vow of silence taken by herself, Naruto, Kakashi, and the Hokage. The minute the Council went back on their word, the sealing jutsu would activate and destroy the jutsu placed on all four bodies. They would then be free to inform the people about the truth of the Uchiha Massacre. Tsunade had been wise in dealing with the Council - they could not be trusted. They were warped and full of selfish, twisted ambitions. Sakura, Tsunade, and Shizune were secretly working to bring down the whole order; they had been for a while. Certain shinobi were privy to the plot, but very few. Kakashi, of course, and a few select ANBU - not to mention the Nara Elders. They were the most cool-headed of all the clans, and their main weapon was battle tactics. "So, what do you know about Uchiha Sasuke?" she questioned, pushing the mask aside and off her face. She stared at him, and Kenta was taken aback by her fierce beauty. She stared him down, a tigress hunting her prey, gaze full of fiery determination. He held his mouth closed, however - what if she decided to slit his throat once he parted with the information? Sensing his hesitation, Sakura exasperatedly rolled her eyes. "If I was going to interrogate and then kill you for information, I would've done it already." She paused to let the words sink in, leaning forward, posture predatory. "Of all people, besides Naruto, I deserve to hear this firsthand, before the Council. Uchiha Sasuke is my ex-teammate, my friend, and the man I'm in love with." She challenged him, and Kenta saw the resilience glittering in her eyes. He saw in her eyes the fury of a woman scorned, coupled with a love so fierce and deep, so full of desperation and devotion it shook him to the very core.
"I have information on his whereabouts," was all Kenta was willing to say, and he didn't miss the way her eyes sparked and caught on fire, fury thrumming in her veins. Sakura nodded, pressing her lips together firmly as she restrained herself from grilling the man. Her heartbeat raced and thundered in her chest, and she forced herself to stay still, forced herself to stay in the cave and not search for the man who'd stolen her heart.
"I see," Sakura mused, calming herself down. Even if she did find out where he was, she probably wouldn't be able to get there and not be exhausted once she did, and if she lost the battle and his trail, there was no one else left to tell her where he was staying. She ran through it rationally, and though disappointment roiled heavy in her gut she knew she'd made the right decision. Sakura snapped into action once she was sufficiently in control, summoning a small piece of Katsuyu to run a message to Tsunade.
Hinata, hand-in-hand with Naruto, trying not to blush - watched as his eyes brightened considerably with excitement, his hand slipping from hers as he took off like a shot, joy painted on his face loud and clear. She giggled softly at the sight, watching her boyfriend as he raced off to greet his bedraggled and tired teammate, picking her up with a big whoop and twirling her around in a circle, and laughed when the girl promptly whacked him on the head. Hinata tried not to be jealous of Sakura - she felt disgusted with herself when she did, but she couldn't help it. She knew that Sakura had no such intentions of stealing Naruto away, but Hinata sometimes Naruto would look at her the way he looked at Sakura. Hinata knew she wasn't being fair to herself; Naruto and Sakura had been through it all. They'd been close for years, had saved each other's lives more than they could count, had lost Sasuke together, had leant on each other for strength and support - and she knew they considered each other family. They were joined at the hip, nearly inseparable. It would take some time before Naruto was as attached to Hinata as he was to Sakura, and she knew it. So she smiled, glad that Sakura made Naruto happy, and waited on the sidelines. She roved curious eyes over the shackled man behind the pink-haired kunoichi, wondering who he was. She was still in the midst of pondering when Naruto vaulted back to her side, apologizing profusely for just abandoning her like that. Hinata only smiled at his selfless nature and pecked him on the cheek, telling him she hadn't been offended in the least. She delighted in the faint blush that rose to her boyfriend's cheeks as their hands reunited, and all four of them made their way to the Hokage tower. Hinata wondered why she and Naruto were going, until she caught the exchanged looks between the two members of Team 7. Something was up, and it had to do with the prisoner Sakura brought back with her.
Naruto barged into the office first, dragging his bright-faced girlfriend along with him, who immediately apologized and bowed for his rude behavior. Sakura followed, less excitedly, and the prisoner trailed in behind her.
"Mission complete, Tsunade-sama."
"Excellent, Sakura... now why are you here, brat?" The latter part was thrown at Naruto, who straightened up in attention before plopping himself into one of the chairs in front of her desk, making it clear that he was there to stay. Tsunade stared with disapproval at the jinchuuriki, before heaving a sigh and turning to Sakura.
"I have information that I feel Naruto deserves to hear, as well," Sakura said, moving her mask to the side of her head, performing a quick sound-barrier jutsu around the room, "it's about something the Council hasn't told us. They were either stupid enough to give me this mission, or I was lucky enough to snag it. The Council didn't inform us of the details of why we needed this man back alive - or why it was S-Class." Tsunade adjusted herself in her chair and nodded, preparing for a long story. "This man, Kenta, has information on the whereabouts of the missing nin Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto jerked in surprise, blue eyes wide as he stared at her. Sakura could barely contain her excitement as well, but she shot him a quelling look. Hinata once again felt out of the loop, standing behind Naruto, excluded. Her heart hurt to see the barely controlled desperation and pure dedication that was mirrored on both their faces, Kenta caught uncomfortably in the middle. "This, of course, would explain why it was S-Class - but their intentions are not honorable. They did not inform you, or we would have already known about it. My assumptions are that they were planning to find him, hire a mercenary or send in a member of Root to finish him off and claim he died after he aggravated battle. I'm not saying that this is true, far from it - but it's a hunch I have."
Naruto fell in an unusual silence, abnormally contemplative. Tsunade leaned back, hands crossing over her mouth, thinking deeply. She hastily wrote a roll of orders and rolled it up, thinking hard.
"I feel... I feel as if you are right, Sakura. I'm glad you picked up this mission, even if by accident. We will report to the Council that the mission was a success, but we will submit him to Ibiki instead of handing him off to the Council instead. If you do not cooperate with the interrogation, Kenta, Ibiki will be forced to torture you. I suggest you go with the former. Sakura, escort him personally to Ibiki and give him this scroll. Naruto will go with you, and both of you report back here after it is finished so we can discuss this more openly. Hinata, please find Nara Shikaku and tell him to report to my office immediately. Dismissed!" Naruto and Sakura leapt to their feet, glad to have something to do. They marched out of the office with Kenta, Hinata slipping out behind them and racing down the rooftops to find the leader of the Nara clan.
Adjusting to life in Konohagakure was both a relief and equally frustrating for Karin. It was a hard switch; she was at the opposite of two extremes. Growing up with Orochimaru, most of her time was spent underground, trying to please her master, trying to gain recognition from him and learning not to trust anyone who passed by in the corridors. In Sound, everyone was a filthy rat, full of greed and lust and anger. Everyone was tough and hard, with little to no mercy. Life in Sound and abroad was the only life Karin new, not this strange, alien society where people were polite to one another and stealing didn't go unnoticed. She had to stop herself from catching hard onto wrists that innocently, accidentally brushed against her money pocket, had to force herself not to sneer at everyone and actually be polite. All her life, it had been a constant power struggle. Here, everyone were equals. Adapting was tough. Even though Sakura had saved her life, she and Naruto had stayed as far away from her as they possibly could. At first, Karin had been scornful and angry, but as time passed she came to realize that they avoided her not because they thought little of her or detested her - but because they were hurting and she made it worse. She realized that they felt second-best to her, relationship-wise, with their ex-teammate, and seeing her reminded them that they were not good enough. Ino had brought her to this realization in the cells, defending both of them to the very last.
Loyalty was another thing Karin wasn't used to seeing. In Sound, almost everyone was a backstabber, thinking only of themselves and their own safety. Here, people watched out for each other's backs, and she wasn't used to it. Ino defended the two members of Team 7 as if they were family, as if they were a part of her. Karin half admired it and was half terrified of it. She didn't belong here, she knew. She thought back and reminisced.
After a couple of months passed, Naruto and Sakura stopped by her tiny apartment, latched firmly onto each other as if they were both drowning and they were both each other's lifeboats. She lived in a rundown, government-provided apartment with tiny, cramped rooms, but it was still a place to live. She invited them in, ruby whorls dark and on guard. She waited in uncomfortable silence as they all sat down at her dining table. Naruto's and Sakura's hands were still tightly linked, gripping each other for support.
"We want to talk to you about Sasuke," they both said in unison, stealing a glance at each other in surprise before this lent them strength, gathering courage as they went on. It was here that Karin finally understood - they loved Sasuke more than she ever could, and she could see it written in their eyes. They apologized for avoiding her, but Karin already knew and understood, thanks to Ino. Resentment did not accompany the myriad of emotions she felt when she looked upon them any longer, and for that she was grateful. She spilled everything she knew about Sasuke, from his current techniques to the troubles with his eyes, to all the places they had gone and traveled together. She tried to keep it as un-damaging as possible, but she knew they were stinging and burning with hurt and confusion. Karin hoped that they would be enough to bring the rogue shinobi home, for if they weren't - she didn't know what could, save death.