He wanted five minutes with Itachi.
Thunk.
He just needed some answers. Was that too much to ask?
Thunk.
It'd been three days since they brought his brother back to Konoha. They made the journey in two days, running day and night. During those two days, between Karin hanging on him and Itachi's medical needs, Sasuke didn't get a second alone with Sakura.
He flicked another kunai into the dented pine, chipping away another piece of bark. Why? Why? Why? The question filled his head until he wanted to yell—only answers would give him peace. Why did Itachi kill everyone he loved? Why did he want Sasuke to kill him? Why had Sakura suddenly become so closed off?
Thunk. Thunkthunkthunk.
Just when things were starting to turn around, Sasuke thought as he rained down a shower of shuriken on the tree.
When Tsunade told him there was a chance that Itachi might still be alive, that his chakra was detected in Madara's old base, Sasuke felt a tiny seed of hope inside of him.
Then the weight of guilt lifted off his shoulders when warmth replaced fear in Sakura's eyes. The seed of hope bloomed in that warmth.
The sensation was foreign, but so welcome—Sasuke hadn't had hope in a very long time.
But then it wilted.
Thunk.
With every blade he directed to the very center of the target, he saw flashes of Itachi lying on a dirty mattress, weak and unresponsive.
Thunk.
Sakura's smiling face telling him not to worry.
Thunk.
His teammate and his brother falling unconscious.
Thunkthunk.
Training Ground Three was littered with weapons. Despite the frosty chill in the air, Sasuke's whole body was slick. He pulled off his shirt and used it to mop up the sweat that was pouring into his eyes, obscuring his vision.
One more, he thought as he lifted his arm and took aim at the distant tree. His arm was so heavy with fatigue, he could barely pick it up. Still, he cocked it back at the elbow and let the kunai fly. He listened for the satisfying sound of his weapon reaching its mark…but it never came. He blinked as he thought he saw a flash of orange where his kunai ought to have been.
"Lose something?" said Naruto, suddenly beside him, holding the kunai out to Sasuke with a blinding smile.
"What do you want, moron?" Sasuke slurred with exhaustion. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as Naruto chuckled. Although he was irritated to see the blond nuisance, Sasuke realized he could finally put him to good use. "Spar with me," he panted as he gazed at his teammate darkly through the wet spikes of his hair.
Naruto looked his friend over and shook his head. "Much as I enjoy seeing you suffer, Sasuke, Sakura-chan would kill me if I put you in the hospital again."
This banter had been repeated so often, Sasuke almost felt like he was following a script. He was sure Naruto was waiting to hear his line which should've been an arrogant, "Like you could."
Sasuke, however, hung his head and mumbled instead, "Like she cares."
Shock was the first thing that registered on Naruto's face. Sasuke didn't want to own up to the tiny voice in his head that told him this was a cry for help, that he wanted Naruto to know something wasn't right, that he might actually want Naruto's help.
His teammate's eyes narrowed as he flipped the kunai in his hand and pointed it at Sasuke's chest. "I don't know who you are, but you aren't fooling me!"
Sasuke sighed. Leave it to Naruto to suspect a bunshin trick.
"Shut up, idiot," sneered Sasuke as he pulled his shirt on. Had he really thought this knucklehead could help him? He began to collect his scattered shuriken and kunai.
"Hang on! You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're who I think you are. Hmm…" Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Okay. Answer this secret question that only the real Sasuke would know, and I'll believe it's you."
Naruto turned a steely-eyed glare on him. "What is my favorite kind of ramen?"
Sasuke stopped, turned, and scoffed. "Everyone in the entire village knows you eat miso ramen, you moron. What kind of a secret question is that?"
A huge smile split Naruto's face. "Okay. I believe it's you, you arrogant jerk." His expression turned serious as he said softly, "But what the heck is up with you and Sakura-chan? What happened on your mission, Sasuke?"
Moments like these always made him wonder whether Naruto had some kind of genjutsu skill that Sasuke was unaware of. Soul-baring conversations were not something he indulged in. The fact that Naruto could disarm him so completely and compel him to sit and talk with nothing more than a look made him think he should activate his Sharingan to check his chakra for disruptions. Then he remembered who he was talking to.
"Idiot."
Feet kicking up clouds of dust with exhausted shuffling, Sasuke began to exit the training grounds.
"Sasuke, if you think I'm going to let you just walk away, you're crazy." Naruto leaped in front of him and poked him in the chest. "You still want to spar? Because I can talk to you plenty if you're stuck in a hospital bed."
Recognizing his own fatigue and knowing Naruto's persistence, Sasuke understood that avoiding him would be futile. He scowled, crossed his arms and slid to the ground, his back supported against a thick trunk. His weariness was a minor annoyance compared to the overwhelming burden on his mind—which made Sasuke realize that a small part of him was thankful for Naruto's never give up attitude.
With the sweat drying on his skin, Sasuke finally felt the bite of the cold, autumn air though his wet clothes. So, he lit a small fire and began to tell Naruto everything that transpired at Madara's base. He ended the story with Sakura injecting Itachi with something unknown and her suspicious behavior afterward.
"And?" Naruto's face was scrunched up in confusion.
"What do you mean and?" Sasuke said incredulously.
"Sasuke. This is Sakura-chan. You're not thinking she'd hurt Itachi, are you?"
Sasuke turned his head away. "How do I know? She could've had other instructions from her mentor…or the Council. Maybe her mission was completely different than the mission I was on." He turned to face Naruto. "Maybe she wasn't there to retrieve Itachi at all," he accused, his eyes disappearing into black shadows in the glow of the firelight.
Naruto looked appalled. "You don't really believe Sakura-chan—"
"What the hell do I know about her anymore, Naruto?" he heatedly interrupted. Sasuke's anger cooled to disappointment as he confided, "She's not the same as when I left."
"Sasuke…you know that's not true."
Pushing down the uneasy discontent in his stomach, Sasuke allowed his anger to flare again. "There are a lot of people in this village who think Itachi coming back to Konoha is a bad idea. Sakura is the Hokage's apprentice. Maybe her loyalty to Tsunade and the village higher-ups…maybe it's stronger than her ties to Team Seven."
"You mean stronger than her ties to you."
Naruto's implication was like a slap in the face. It was guilt that made him protect Sakura. It was guilt that made him desperate for her forgiveness. Nothing more than guilt…
As if he could read Sasuke's thoughts, Naruto let out a dubious snort. "As far as Sakura-chan not being the same as when you left, I guess that's mostly true. A lot of things have changed. Look at me!" He thumped his chest and smiled broadly. "The things that make her our Sakura-chan, though—those things haven't changed at all."
Sasuke thought that the Sakura he'd once known would do whatever she could to make him happy. She would know that seeing Itachi meant more to him than anything else and she would bend over backwards to make sure he got exactly what he wanted.
A scowl twisted Sasuke's face. Back in the forest, he thought he'd seen the old Sakura—her open eyes, her unmasked emotions—but he must've been mistaken. It seemed that girl died on a bridge in the Land of Iron.
The Sakura he knew now cared more about her patient than his happiness. This new Sakura made sure her mission was completed and didn't worry about his contentment.
"Sasuke, if you saw Sakura-chan do something you don't understand, the only way you'll know why is if you ask her. You know Team Seven holds a special place in her heart." He smirked as he mumbled loud enough for Sasuke to hear, "Although, some of us are more special than others."
Naruto stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. "Did you know that Sakura-chan confessed to me?"
Sasuke couldn't hide his shock—the sinking feeling in his stomach was unexpected.
"Yup. Said she loved me right before she went to meet you after the Kage Summit—and I believe she does love me." Naruto crouched next to Sasuke, placed a hand on his shoulder, and looked seriously in his eyes. "But as much as I want her to, she doesn't love me like she loves you." His brows creased. "Don't ever forget that, Sasuke."
Sasuke stared numbly into the fire as Naruto started to walk toward the lights of the village. "Anyway, you know what to do." He stopped and said with a smile, "I will give you one piece of advice, though—bring her something to eat."
Hours! she thought, miserably. I've been wandering the entire village for hours and no sign of Sasuke-kun anywhere!
Karin plopped down on the nearest bench, folding her arms and pouting. Since they'd returned from their mission, she'd been looking for Sasuke with no luck at all.
In a village of shinobi with such powerful chakra, her Kagura Shingan was useless. She'd tried to pick out Sasuke's distinct chakra, but found herself overwhelmed by the intensity and variety of energies, leaving her to search the old fashioned way—on foot.
She'd searched from midday and Karin was sure it had to be close to midnight. Knowing she wouldn't catch Sasuke by sitting around, she pushed herself off the bench with a grunt and resumed her trek around Konoha.
After they returned from Madara's base, she just knew that Sasuke wouldn't be able to deny his feelings for her much longer. He was clearly over Sakura—she could see the anger and betrayal in his eyes every time he looked at her on their way back to the Leaf.
Stupid girl, Karin thought. Doesn't that big forehead hide any brains at all? Trying to play hard-to-get with a guy like Sasuke will get you nowhere. He needs to be hit over the head.
It was painfully obvious to Karin that Sakura didn't know a thing about men.
Guess what they say about stupid blondes is true for pinks as well. She giggled out loud at her own joke. They're nothing like us redheads—brilliantly crafty, fiercely determined and irresistibly sexy. She flicked a lock of hair from her shoulder and congratulated herself on her lucky, redheaded DNA.
Lost in her reverie, Karin was jarred as she bumped hard into a fellow pedestrian.
"Hey, you stupid jerk! What are you, blind?" she boomed as she crawled around looking for her glasses. "What kind of inconsiderate imbecile knocks into someone and doesn't even—oh! It's you, Sasuke-kun!" she squealed as she reseated her glasses. "I've been looking all over Konoha for you!"
Sasuke looked down at Karin with a frown as she wound her arm through his. "What do you want, Karin?"
"Well, I just thought, now that our mission is complete, you might want to come to the training grounds with me and…train," she purred as she walked two-fingers up his arm, to his neck, and into his hair.
"Karin?" he asked as he pulled her hand out of his hair. "Did you say that you've been all over the village?"
She was joyful—Sasuke was finally recognizing her efforts. "Yes, of course, Sasuke-kun. You know I'd go to the ends of the earth for you!" She willed her cheeks to flush and batted her eyelashes for good measure.
"You didn't see Sakura anywhere, did you? Karin…you're cutting off the circulation in my arm. Karin…let…go!"
She forced down the blood that rushed to her head and fought the urge to rip Sasuke's arm off and beat him with it.
"Oh, ha-ha!" Karin released her grip and smoothed out his shirt. "S-sorry, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke resumed walking and scanning the crowds. Karin tried to keep up, having to take two steps for every one of his long strides.
"Konoha's a pretty busy place," she said. "Even at this time of night, there's people everywhere," she said, hoping to entice him into conversation. Sakura had managed to get him to talk in three days—Karin would not be out-done.
"Have you tried looking in the bars, Sasuke-kun? I'm sure Sakura is probably drinking herself into a stupor by now." Sasuke glanced sideways at her, his eyes narrowed. "Or maybe she's in one of these gambling halls. She is Tsunade's apprentice, after all. Like mentor, like student."
Karin pressed herself against Sasuke and whispered in his ear, "I've heard people in the village talking about her, you know. They say she'll exceed Tsunade's skill soon. I'm sure they mean her gambling skill. I guess she's probably around here somewhere, throwing away all the money we just made on that wonderfully profitable A-rank mission."
Sasuke whipped his head around to pin Karin with a burning glare.
Oops! Forgot about his brother, she thought.
"Not that I cared to make any money off that mission, Sasuke-kun. You know, I've always been the one helping you find your brother."
He resumed his swift pace and she began to trot. "Speaking of your brother, is he still locked up in the hospital? Have you seen him yet?"
Sasuke slowed as his eyes became fixed to the ground. "No, I haven't."
Karin's hand went to her open mouth in mock-astonishment. "I just can't believe she hasn't let you in. You're his brother! Who else has more of a right to talk to him?"
Seeing that her words were affecting him, she continued, "Supposedly, she's concerned for his life, but, really…a few minutes of conversation isn't going to kill him, right? Knowing her, she's probably at the hospital right now, standing guard over your brother, making sure you don't get near him. Sure, she says she's saving his life, but what do you really know about Sakura, Sasuke-kun?"
His pace slowed to no more than a shuffling saunter, his gaze now pointed directly at his feet as he seemed to absorb what Karin was saying.
"I have to wonder what they were thinking at the Academy when they put your team together. You were obviously the most talented, Sasuke-kun. It really is a crime that you had to be weighed down by such an annoying girl."
"Annoying," Sasuke murmured with a smirk.
"My heart just breaks for you, Sasuke-kun. It's no wonder you left. Did she really think that becoming the Hokage's apprentice would change her?" Karin snorted her disapproval. "I'm sure she's exactly the same useless girl you left behind."
Sasuke stopped dead, mumbled something about how everything had changed, and gazed out at the panorama of the Leaf village. Karin had no idea what he was staring at—she was just so happy to wind her arms around his.
Without warning, Sasuke moved quickly toward a less garishly lit section of the village. Karin jogged at his heels before he flipped up a curtain and slid into a stool at Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.
"Two pork ramen."
What? Did he just order dinner for two? Karin mentally squealed. Sasuke was taking her out to dinner! This was going to be their first official date!
"Make that to go," he added.
To go? Are we leaving already? Karin wondered. A blush engulfed her whole body. Oh, that impatient boy! Eating here would take too much time. He can't wait to get me home!
Anticipating a night spent ravishing Sasuke, Karin pulled out a spray bottle of perfume and began to douse herself.
Sasuke dropped some ryō on the counter and collected his bag.
"So, Sasuke-kun?" she said, taking quick steps to keep up with him. "Where are we going now?"
He stopped abruptly and looked at Karin. "We? I don't know where you're going, Karin, but I'm going to find an old friend."
Karin gaped like a fish as he disappeared across the village rooftops and into the dark sky.
So...once again, I owe every good thing in this to the limitless talents of Unicorn Paige. Freedom looks good on you, Paige!
Thank you all so, so much for your reviews. They make me laugh, smile, and blush. Please keep writing to me!