DISCLAIMER: This story is solely written for fanservicing. All known characters and plot lines belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the publishers of the Naruto series. I am merely a fan who wishes to write her alternate story to the Naruto manga. The title "In The Name of Life" is taken from Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack of the film 'Spirited Away', by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. This fanfic is not intended for lucrative purposes.
In The Name of Life
Chapter XVII
"The one that filled his lonely existence was Sakura. But he cannot let her in. He leaves with just one word of thanks."
~Masashi Kishimoto
Perhaps it was something that Naruto said, something that struck in his mind and didn't let him continue his goal. Or perhaps it was because Sasuke couldn't gather enough strength to strike the final blow.
But what he did know was that Naruto didn't die in his hands. And that he didn't die in Naruto's hands.
The Uzumaki boy lay unconscious, far, far away from Sasuke. The Kyūbi's chakra was diminishing, leaving behind a shattered –but still breathing—body that was very much like his. Sasuke could barely keep his eyes open. His chakra supply was running low, and he wasn't entirely sure he could summon a hawk. Instead, he deactivated his Sharingan and tried to stand up. Much to his dismay, his legs felt so painful that he couldn't even go on his knees. He lay there, atop a destroyed rock that had been a product of his and Naruto's last attacks.
His breath finally caught up to him. He felt extremely exhausted, but his sight was unaffected. Sasuke finally experienced the full extent of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, with no side effects. A sense of satisfaction overwhelmed his chest when he realized that he could still see Naruto's body far away from his own, without blurring lines. However, the rest of his body was another issue. His skin was covered in scratches and bruises, although none were fatal. If it wasn't because his legs betrayed him, he could walk towards Naruto's unconscious body and finalize what he'd started.
However, inside him, Sasuke knew that he didn't have enough willpower to take away his former teammate's life. He'd killed dozens of ninjas before. He'd trained to no end for this confrontation, to show Naruto who was the strongest. But now that the moment was at his doorstep, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to grab a kunai and bury it in Naruto's heart.
He heard the sound of thunder up in the cloudy sky. It was definitely due to the increased amount of chakra that he and Naruto released. This was no ordinary thunderstorm, but one similar to his Kirin. Raindrops started to fall, washing away the several bloodstains on his skin. The rain picked up force, quickly reminding him of their first fight three years ago.
Sasuke's body was now acting on its own. Despite the piercing pain that shot up through his legs, he stood up, looking lost and hurt. It was very similar to when he killed Itachi. A sense of uncertainty flashed through his mind. But he knew that, once again, another goal had set forth in his plans. He was going to speak with his resurrected brother, and learn the truth.
Naruto had been a good opponent to test his new abilities. Next time, he wouldn't be so merciful with his former teammate. He would find the willpower to finish Naruto's life –after he finished talking with Itachi, of course. There were too many things he needed to know before he killed another soul.
And he began to walk. He walked in the opposite direction from Naruto, without looking back. His arms felt ten times heavier, but he carried himself with whatever chakra he had leftover. Eventually he would collapse somewhere along his path, and then regain his full strength, and continue with his journey. But to where? Sasuke didn't know. Itachi was the only one who could connect his eyes with Sasuke's; the younger Uchiha had yet to learn how master the connection between two Sharingan users.
His feet started to feel a different type of ground. Sasuke was no longer in the barren land where his fight with Naruto had taken place. He was entering a damp forest, where the raindrops fell on trees and then on the ground, passing on the fresh rebirth of the air through the leaves. He wanted to chuckle, thinking of how the stupid rain connected with Naruto's stupid ambition of bringing peace to the world. Naruto thought he could bring a fresh restart to the world like the rain did to the earth. What a stupid idea!
Sasuke's lids felt like rocks, but he kept walking. He could no longer sense Naruto's chakra, showing that he was far away from their battlefield. His vision started to blur. It wasn't because he was losing his sight; it was because he was finally giving in to the tiredness that his body felt. Step by step, Sasuke collapsed in the ground, feeling the moist soil on his torso and face, while the raindrops fell on his back, dampening him, cleansing him.
He was going to kill Zetsu for taking away his chance of getting revenge on Konoha.
Sakura's legs were numb. The explosion had completely thrown her off trail, sending her miles away from where Naruto and Sasuke had battled. There were bruises and splinters all over her exposed skin due to the many tree branches that broke off their trunks. Her arms were still covering her head, even after a long moment had passed since the explosion happened. She just lay there, not feeling anything from her legs, with her eyes closed and imagining a life where C was giving her moral support.
He would have told her that they shouldn't lose hope in the future. That was his legacy, and she promised herself to carry it on. It was the least she could do for her deceased friend.
Suddenly, a searing pain jolted up from her calves to her thighs. Sakura had to uncover her face in order to look at the damage that her legs had taken. A large tree trunk had fallen on her lower half, damaging several bones, ripping her pants and skin. If she hadn't lived through the horrors of Tsunade's training, the war, and Zetsu's tortures, she would have been extremely alarmed at the sight. Nonetheless, the medical side of her took over her demeanour and she quickly took action.
After gathering chakra in her palms, she pushed the tree trunk away from her body and it landed atop another tree. She still had to get used to the return of her full supply of chakra. It was still unbalanced. With careful determination, Sakura concentrated her chakra from her palms towards her legs, letting every cell heal individually. The damage wasn't bad –she had seen worse, like in C. The pain always caught up with her tolerance, but it didn't feel as bad as before.
To her luck, Naruto and Sasuke had cleared away several trees that surrounded the plain where they fought. It made her trail much easier to follow. She stood up awkwardly, and tripped several times before she found the right pace to keep her legs going.
The fight was over. Her heart sank at the realization that up ahead, her two precious people may lay lifeless. It made her want to run, but her legs didn't let her do so. She compromised to a fast paced walk, avoiding every lump that was on the ground and that could make her trip on her feet. The landscape changed from a dense forest to a barren land. In front of her, there were several destroyed rocks and ponds of different sizes. She scanned the scenery with her eyes while her chakra tried to sense another one.
Sakura picked up her speed when she felt Naruto's faint chakra a few miles into the barren land. She stumbled on rocks of several sizes, taking in the damage that her boys had caused –and the power they possessed. For a quick moment, she felt completely out of place between them. She felt like the weak link, again.
But all of her thoughts went blank when she found Naruto's unconscious body lying amid the debris, with his eyes closed and mouth slightly open.
"Naruto!" she yelled out his name again. It seemed to be the only word she could say.
Her legs finally gave in to her demands of running. Sakura started to kick at the debris, sending several rocks flying away and uncovering Naruto's body. Next, her hands picked up the larger pieces and she threw them over her shoulders, completely deafened by the sound that they made when they hit the ground. All she wanted to hear was Naruto's breathing.
"No, no..." her voice said, "please, Naruto, don't die on me."
She had already uncovered his whole body and moved her hands over the large bruise that crossed over his chest. She quickly opened Naruto's jacket in order to see the damage it had caused.
"Don't do this to me..." Sakura pleaded.
Her eyes were blurring as tears fell on Naruto's face. She had placed his head over her knees for a more comfortable position. Her hands were trembling as an opaque glow appeared from her palms. Like many times, her emotions were taking the best out of her. She couldn't bring herself to control her own chakra.
Sakura was afraid that she was going to lose Naruto. Her true best friend. The one who knew how to cheer her up in any way, who was always there at her side. She had lost Sasuke years ago, when he decided to leave the village. She had lost C just a few hours ago, and he could've taken her away from all her pain.
Now... now she could lose Naruto.
And that would be unbearable.
"Please... Naruto..."
"Sakura."
It was Kakashi-sensei.
Her eyes averted from Naruto's unconscious form to her sensei. He stood a few feet away from the two, looking at her with his black and his red eyes. His voice showed the shock he portrayed. Pakkun, who stood at Kakashi's side, sported the same unbelievable expression at seeing her.
She hadn't realized that a hand was softly touching her tear stained cheek until she turned back at Naruto.
He was awake. And he was grinning at her. It was a weaker version of his usual high upbeat attitude, but Naruto was giving her one of his signature smiles. His touch felt surreal. Sakura thought she was never going to see her best friend again.
More importantly, Naruto was alive.
Sakura let out a cry of join, sinking her face into Naruto's chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. He let out a groan of pain, making her quickly retreat back to her original position. Sakura couldn't believe it. She had reunited with Kakashi and Naruto. Both of them were alive, even after a month of constant warfare. She decided to carefully stand up and place Naruto's injured head on the ground. Then, she ran towards her first sensei and wrapped her arms around his torso.
Kakashi was a little surprised at her action, but welcomed her hug by embracing her malnourished figure with his own arms. Sakura sobbed on his flak jacket, leaving behind traces of blood, sweat, and tears. But she was happy. She hadn't been this happy since... She couldn't even remember!
"Kakashi-sensei... I c-can't believe it," she stuttered.
But the pangs of pain kept coming into her chest.
"Sakura-chan is here, 'ttebayo," Naruto said weakly, and he prompted his torso up with his elbow.
"Don't you think of standing up, Uzumaki Naruto!" Sakura protested, letting go of Kakashi's embrace and rushing over to her friend's side, "You're still too weak to made sudden moves. Always so inconsiderate!"
Naruto let out a chuckle slightly shaking his head. Then, Sakura quickly placed her hands on both sides of his head to prevent more damage to it.
"I missed you," he confessed.
Sakura's expression softened as she felt tears welling up again in her eyes, "Me too."
Kakashi knelt beside his two students and ruffled Sakura's filthy hair with affection. He had covered up his Sharingan already, and his visible eye showed that he was smiling, "It's time to go back, Sakura, Naruto."
Her shoulders tensed at her teacher's declaration. She couldn't go back now, not yet. She needed to give justice to C's legacy and kill Zetsu. He was the reason of her horrors. She needed to avenge her lost friend before returning to the Shinobi Alliance.
"Where's Sasuke?"
Naruto's question only made her even more frigid. After all the fear she went through at Madara's headquarters thinking of her former teammate killing Naruto, she would have never expected that he would be merciful enough to let the blond boy live. It shocked her. She could recall her desperation when Sasuke had announced that he was off to fight with Naruto after she'd given him her hitai-ate. She had the stupid thought that his actions were deviating from destroying everything she held dear after he had learned that she'd spoken to Itachi.
Perhaps Sasuke was changing. Naruto was well, albeit the injuries. He could still be able to heal.
"He's not here," Kakashi answered, looking at Sakura intently.
It only meant that she was bound to see Sasuke one more time before she returned to her friends. And her sensei knew that something had changed in her. Of course, he'd lived through many tragedies throughout his life; he could recognize that Sakura had lost more than just her innocence in the Mountain's Graveyard.
She had briefly lost her sanity, a friend, and a part of her humanity.
Naruto rested his head on the ground in disappointment. He felt like a failure, Sakura thought. The boy who had done everything he could to bring back his best friend couldn't make him stay. A wave of sadness swept over Sakura, knowing that she soon had to part ways with Naruto to fight her own battles.
"Why must this always happen?" Naruto asked in desperation, covering his face with his hands.
"He's probably not too far away from here..." Sakura tried to lie, but none of them could sense their former teammate's chakra. He was already out of their range. She chose to stroke Naruto's hair to console him, but it wasn't enough to calm her best friend.
After a long pause of just watching Naruto crying in silence, Kakashi stood up, giving his two students a look full of grief and pain. Sakura wasn't aware of her teacher's full life story, but she was familiar with his experience in losing those he loved. Now, Naruto and Sakura were feeling that same sense of loss in front of his eyes, and it only made him feel worse. She locked eyes with Kakashi, who fully understood her intentions before she even spoke.
He took out a small pouch and handed it to her in silence, not looking away from Sakura's eyes. She felt the sharpness of the weapons inside the pouch, hearing the slight clinging noises they made at every movement. After that, Sakura stood up as well and helped her sensei prompt up Naruto's weakened limbs. Before her teacher took the full hold of Naruto, he took off his flak jacket and passed it on to her.
"You need a new uniform. The one you're wearing smells terrible."
Sakura wondered how her sensei could complain about her scent if he always covered his nose with that damn mask. Kakashi wrapped the boy's arm around his shoulders, while the Uzumaki boy's face was glued to the ground, tears falling out of his eyes.
Naruto hadn't realized her intentions like Kakashi-sensei.
"Thank you, sensei, they will come for good use," she said, referring to the weapons pouch, "You're right. I haven't had a proper bath in a while, and it will most likely be another while before I get to clean myself."
Naruto finally looked up to her, and his expression gradually changed from desperate to one of realization.
"Sakura-chan! Are you... are you leaving me too!?" He asked, his voice cracking.
He tried to take a few steps towards the girl, but Kakashi-sensei held on to his upper body and restricted his moves. Naruto looked back at his teacher's stern expression, now fully understanding that Sakura was not going to go back to the Alliance with them. She wished she could tell him that they were going to return together and fight beside one another, but it would be a lie. Naruto had already lost one teammate, and he feared losing another.
"Naruto, there's something I have to do before I return."
It made sense for him to feel desperate. He could be left alone in this world, without his team, without his family.
"But... Sakura-chan, I can help you!"
"No, this is something I need to do alone. I'm sorry, Naruto."
There were things that people had to take care of alone, and killing Zetsu was one of them. Perhaps this was how Sasuke felt.
Maybe she finally understood the intentions behind her former friend's hatred. Sakura felt some of it, too. She wanted to release all of her hatred on Zetsu while slicing his throat, giving justice to all those who had suffered because of him. And she wanted to take on that task alone, without the help of her friends.
Sakura's feet were suddenly standing on an imaginary obscure pit, bringing her down to darkness. Her mind had to quickly climb out of it before she sank any lower.
She gave her two friends one last, long embrace before turning around. Naruto was crying out her name, asking for a reason of her departure. She couldn't bring herself to say that C was dead because of Zetsu's clones, and that said Akatsuki member had enjoyed leading those long and torturous sessions on her. After she killed him, Sakura told herself, she would be able to confess all the horrors she lived. Naruto wouldn't let her seek her own revenge if he knew everything she had gone through.
Sakura imagined what might have gone through Sasuke's mind while he went through his own realizations.
"Sakura will be back. Let's go now, Naruto," Kakashi's voice sounded far away from her, but she still caught on to his words.
They made her promise that she would return alive.
Sakura focused her chakra on her senses. Her eyes, smell, touch, and hearing enhanced when she had sent a wave of energy over them. Keeping her head up, she kept walking, without looking back. She was finally regaining her perfect chakra control, since enhancing her senses with them was something she had mastered quite long ago. Her footsteps followed her instinct. She was immersed into the deep, dense forest, already far away from Naruto and Kakashi-sensei.
The sound of a hawk caught her attention.
She jolted up her head and saw a large brown bird fly over the trees. Somehow, she knew that following it would take her to her destination. Sakura jumped up to the top of a tree in order to follow the hawk's trail. The flying animal was moving at a fast speed, so she had to run from tree top to tree top. Every step she took felt like it was purifying her body. She was discharging her energy by running, letting the purified wind hit her face as she followed a new target.
Despite her filthy clothes and hair, her dirt stained hands, Sakura welcomed the breeze with open arms. It was like she was cleansing her soul before she got more blood in her hands.
The brown hawk started to descend in a circular motion. Sakura halted atop the branch of a tall, ancient tree and watched as the bird made its way to the ground. Once it was hidden amongst the density of the forest, Sakura descended from the tree branch into the ground and began to run, finally sensing the person she was looking for.
And there he was.
Sasuke's back was against a tree trunk, and the large hawk stood beside the boy. His chakra was weak; he was still exhausted from fighting Naruto. Although there were trails of blood down his cheeks and several uncured bruises, Sasuke's eyes were still open and he was looking into nothingness. It was obvious that he had sensed Sakura's arrival, he was too strong to ignore another shinobi arriving at his side. The bird prompted its head towards Sasuke's arm, asking him if he needed a lift.
With a gesture that was almost lifeless, Sasuke lifted up his arm and took a hold of the hawk's neck. The animal helped him until he was about to stand up on his own to feet.
"Stop!" Sakura yelled, consciously catching Sasuke's attention.
The boy's eyes finally bore into her. He looked lost, more lost that she'd ever seen him before.
The hawk let out another sound and then flew up to the sky, disappearing amongst the tree tops, and leaving the two former teammates alone. Sasuke had returned to his original position against the tree trunk, sitting and looking down at the ground. Sakura took this gesture as a sign that she could approach him. After all, he was too injured to try and physically attack her. He could still cast an illusion on her, so she had to keep her eyes away from Sasuke's at all costs.
He had tried to kill her several times before. This occasion didn't change that fact. She took slow steps towards her former teammate, who was unmoving. When Sakura reached Sasuke's sitting form, she knelt down in front of him. Now, she could study his injuries thoroughly. He had several burns on his skin, most likely from the Kyūbi's chakra, and his clothes were torn in many parts. The two trails of blood that ran down from his eyes was something she had seen before, but she had yet to study what they were evidence of.
Sakura couldn't remember the last time she touched Sasuke without fear of rejection or assassination. She extended her arm towards one of his wrists to check his pulse, but Sasuke's speed remained unaffected. He quickly took a hold of her hand, snatching it away from his body. A similar memory from the chūnin exams flashed through Sakura's mind as her arm froze at his touch. Somehow, from somewhere, a tingling sensation ran through her limb and into her head, causing her to feel nauseated.
And it caused her cheeks to redden.
However, Sakura had to keep her head on the ground. She wasn't going to let her emotions run her actions. Not now, not ever again.
"I came to tell you that I finally understand," her voice sounded calmer than she actually felt.
Sasuke's head slightly tilted to the side, giving her a sign that she could continue speaking. She had to suppress how infuriated his actions made her feel. He had no manners whatsoever!
"I finally understand your want for revenge," she continued, taking attention that Sasuke hadn't let go of her hand yet, "The pain I am suffering right now... It's because I've just lost someone."
She never loved C like he loved her. But he brought her a sense of hope, of escape from the horrors of the life of a shinobi. It was stupid of her to think that she could run away from all her problems and start a new life, to think that no one would chase after her and forcefully bring her back to being a kunoichi. She would've learned how to love C and eventually ignored her past years as a shinobi, but her memories would always haunt her.
Sasuke, on the other hand, he was a rather special case. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she would always love him. It was a pained love that she had to harbour. He would never return it, and she wasn't the same young girl who insisted on following his footsteps. She had to find her own path, even if it meant heartbreak.
"I want to take revenge of C's death, just like you want to avenge your brother and your clan. But... I am not going to fall into the same darkness you did."
"You're different," he commented, surprising Sakura for the second time in a row.
Perhaps she was already falling into that same darkness. She would be taking revenge for what she thought that was justice, much like Sasuke. It was a selfish reason that the younger Sakura would've never taken. But Sasuke was right, something inside her had changed. It was obvious enough for him to notice.
"Zetsu is my target," Sakura stated. She tried to stand up, but Sasuke's grab of her hand hadn't loosened. In fact, it tensed after her words.
"You will not do such thing," the tone of his voice sounded superior, like he had an official say in all of her actions.
Sakura felt anger at his behaviour. He had no right to tell her what to do, dammit! She snatched her hand away from his and finally stood up, ready to leave an almost unconscious Sasuke unaided. It was a behaviour that every other medic ninja wouldn't take; they were obligated to heal an injured before continuing with their own work.
But Sasuke was a special case in many, many ways.
Sakura could have told him all about Zetsu's long and painful torture sessions. How it gave her horror filled nightmares and left emptiness inside of her. But she chose to remain silent about those facts, thinking that Sasuke could be already familiar with the suffering she experienced back in Madara's hideout.
"You are no one to me, understand?" she said, knowing that her words betrayed the truth.
She had to keep telling herself that all hope was lost when he'd decided to attempt murdering her. Sakura started to walk away from Sasuke, but his next words caused her to halt.
"I have to find Itachi."
'It's my fault that he turned out like he is now; he doesn't realize that what he needs is company.'
The older Uchiha brother's words resounded in her mind. She had quite enjoyed talking to Itachi, albeit the consequences and his bloodstained reputation. Sasuke needed to know the truth behind Itachi's intentions, the truth that she couldn't listen because it was such a private matter. Sakura took a deep breath, knowing that Itachi only wanted what was best for his younger brother. He'd made several mistakes before, but now he had the opportunity to amend all the damage he'd left behind.
He had entrusted Sakura with the task of guiding Sasuke to the light, and she had promised to do so without realizing it. It was another task for her, but one that she couldn't take alone.
That was why she turned her heels around and walked back towards Sasuke. She returned to his side, sat down and attempted at touching his wrist. This time, Sasuke didn't flinch. He allowed her to make contact between their skins, and Sakura's heart beat sped up like a stampede. She had to keep her face straight, but it was clear that Sasuke was aware of her emotional behaviour.
A green glow of chakra appeared from her hand, quickly healing Sasuke's burned skin. The Uchiha boy raised an eyebrow towards his former teammates, and Sakura could only shrug her shoulders in order to maintain a neutral demeanour. She finally locked her eyes with his dark ones; Sasuke's chakra was too low to keep his Sharingan activated. Sakura thought she could aid him in healing some of his bruises before departing to her destination. Now that she thought about it, she didn't even know where Zetsu was at the moment. She had previously studied some of his background, but she wasn't so familiar with his fighting style. Her task proved to be more difficult than what it was.
"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke was never the one who started the conversation. His voice interrupted her train of thought, returning her to reality. She couldn't keep her head wandering when she was in front of an international criminal.
"I'm glad you didn't kill Naruto," she started, moving her glowing hands from one arm to the other, "That would have been your worst mistake."
It showed her that Sasuke wasn't so deep within his own darkness. There was still a chance for Team Kakashi to save him, and she could finally take the starting step toward that salvation. His chakra signature was recovering, and the same glow of obscurity he carried lingered on it. A rush of fear swept over Sakura's senses, but she dismissed it, thinking that she was leading her actions with her duty as a medical ninja and a former teammate.
"I am still going to destroy the remnants of Konoha."
But what duty did she have to Sasuke, the one who wanted to destroy everything she loved?
Sakura's blood started to boil, demanding her body to move away from Sasuke's before she did something she would regret. Her feet made her stand up and take a few steps away from the Uchiha boy as her breath felt heavier. Her head couldn't get around the thought of why he would want to destroy the place that Itachi had tried so hard to protect. Sakura could finally understand Sasuke's pain, yes, but she wouldn't forgive him if he killed innocent civilians. They were already safe in a camp, far away from the warzone and the horrors shinobi lived every day.
"What do you mean remnants of Konoha?" Sakura asked once her mind dissipated and she could think properly.
Sasuke remained silent for a long moment. She could hear the sound of the leaves moving against the wind, and the weight of Kakashi's flak jacket on her shoulders was starting to bother her. Her body was still malnourished and therefore less used to maintaining heavy weights without the use of chakra. She needed to eat –and eat a lot—before heading off to find Zetsu. Sakura started to feel impatient at her former teammate's quietness. He wasn't talkative, but his words had caught her attention and she needed an answer.
"Naruto said that the refugee camp was sacked by Zetsu's clones."
Sakura's world started spiraling downwards. His words repeated over and over again in her mind, bringing her back to her previous thoughts. She was about to lose balance, thinking of all the innocent civilians that died at the hands of the same clones that invaded her sleepless nights. It felt like a living nightmare; her fellow villagers, killed, by the one who tortured and tormented her. Sakura was paralyzed in her spot, frozen in time as the image of mothers and children getting slaughtered by the clones played in her mind.
Mothers and children.
"Zetsu is my target," Sasuke repeated her earlier words, "He took away my chance of avenging, and he will now feel my hatred."
She felt like Sasuke was bringing her along with him towards the darkness.
Mothers and children...
"I don't think so!"
Sakura quickly took out a kunai from Kakashi-sensei's weapon pouch and aimed it at Sasuke's neck. If there was one pair of hands that were going to be stained with Zetsu's blood, it was going to be hers. The Akatsuki member had already taken too much from her.
Sasuke instantly reacted to her attack, dodging it and taking a hold of her arm. He twisted it in a way that made Sakura trip on her feet and fall awkwardly beside him. Nonetheless, she took the opportunity in creating a chakra scalpel and reaching out to Sasuke's free arm, but the boy was still faster than her. To her luck, though, she was able to tip on his right wrist and close off the chakra channel, impaling his hand from receiving energy. Sasuke realized her intentions and pushed her away from his sitting stance before he stood up.
Sakura lay on the ground, while Sasuke stood up, looking at her with dangerous crimson eyes. It was a very similar look to the one he gave her when she had been forced to healing his eyes. Back then, she felt fearful and stupid for taking such action. Now, a sense of challenge rose within her. She was not going to let Sasuke take away her chance; he had killed enough people already. This wasn't going to turn into a competition because it was her turn.
... And when did she start thinking like that?
Sakura's mind started to clear up. She had suddenly felt a wave of hatred cloud up in her brain, as if it was taking away more of her sanity.
"I don't care what you say," she began, looking intently at the three tomoes in each of Sasuke's eye, "I healed you because you didn't kill Naruto, but that doesn't mean that I'm in peace with you."
Her words were contradicting her promise to Itachi and her own feelings. But it was for the better, she told herself. Despite feeling completely torn between two personalities, she had to take action in what she thought that was right. Sasuke killing Zetsu because he had taken away his revenge was not considered justice, but more like a child playing a dirty trick for not getting what he wanted. She was entitled to kill off the Akatsuki members for all the pain it had brought upon her and recently her village. Zetsu was going to pay.
The sound of a hawk brought caught her and Sasuke's attention. Both shinobi looked up to the sky and saw the same large brown bird descending on their direction. Sakura stood up, knowing that if she stayed on the ground for much longer that Sasuke would take his chance and kill her off. She had to keep her guard up.
"Sasuke, you will never believe what we found!" said a voice that came from the hawk.
Sakura saw two other men sitting atop the large bird. One of them carried a large sword that looked all too familiar to her, while the other remained silent. The words spoken from the shinobi with the large sword made her realize that she was one against three. They were on Sasuke's side, and most likely willing to attack her if he told them to. This was her only chance to escape.
However, before Sakura could move a muscle, she felt Sasuke's arm around her waist as he picked her up and carried her over the giant bird. Her ears could only hear the same shinobi's voice demanding for an explanation as to why Sasuke was 'taking this chick along with them.' She began to move her arms and legs to try and free her body from his hold, but they were already up in the air. Sakura's eyes looked at how far they were from the ground.
She realized that, this time, Sasuke had finally taken her with him.
Ermahgerd it's February and V-Day is a few days from now. Here is my present for being so patient!
School and work have been two crazy worlds that cannot get along very well LOL. But onto the story...
IS THAT WHAT YOU JUST READ!? SASUKE AND SAKURA!? TOGETHER, IN A CHAPTER!? Thank the lords, wooohooo!
Everything you read that looks familiar has been taken from the OVA made with the song Mayonaka No Orchestra by Aquatimez. I loved it so much that decided to incorporate some parts of it in this fanfic. Do you have a favourite OVA?
Thank you to all of you who've praised Sasuke's characterization :') I get super happy when I read that people like the way I write him. He's such a difficult character ;_; What do you think about Sakura?
More importantly, who are these two men sitting on Sasuke's hawk? Mysteries, mysteries... (Not really).
Well, there is so much more I want to say but I'd rather discuss it with you peepz via inbox :)
Also, do any of you know a good website where I can promote this fanfic? I love all of you for taking your time to read it, and I'd like to spread the luuuuuuuv and get more readers :$
Have a blasting February!
sincerely,
MSM