I do not own
Naruto
Chapter 14
Karin was ecstatic, to put it simply. She was returning after what seemed like years of being separated from Sasuke. A devilish grin appeared on her face as she sauntered into the hideout. If Sasuke was still asleep she would surprise him with a good morning kiss! She giggled to herself at the thought. She just knew Sasuke had realized his love for her while she was gone, and he would be overjoyed at her greeting him after so long.
She pushed the door open silently, remembering that there was a squeak if the door was opened too quickly. She closed the door quietly behind her incase Sasuke wanted to greet her properly. The lump on the bed signified where Sasuke was sleeping. Grabbing hold of the covers she lowered them a little to get access to his face
Being awoken by a shriek was not on Sakura's list of things to do this morning. After realizing someone was yelling, she became aware of how cold she was suddenly cold because of the lack of covers. She groped around for them and finally settled on opening her eyes when she couldn't find them. She had been tuning out the senseless shrieking but finally tuned in on what the girl was yelling about.
"-whore! Who do you think you are?" the girl was yelling.
Not the best wake up call Sakura had ever had. Sakura sat up and looked the girl up and down. She wasn't practically dressed. He tight leather shorts and revealing top were hardly appropriate for the ninja lifestyle.
She raised an eyebrow as the girl called her a whore again. "Who are you calling a whore?" Sakura asked looking the girl up and down again.
"The girl that's sleeping in Sasuke-kun - my Sasuke-kun's - bed!" The girl shouted. Was she trying to make Sakura deaf?
Sakura opened her mouth to correct the girl, but thought better of it. Sometimes it just wasn't worth it. She shrugged and slid off the bed and walked unhurriedly to the door.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Karin screeched and a pillow whizzed by Sakura's head. Sakura looked behind her and shot Karin a death glare before closing the door behind her.
Sasuke sat with his chin resting on the palm of his hand. The wind whipped at his hair, but he ignored it. More pressing issues were on his mind. Just when he thought he finally knew everything there was to know about Itachi, something new was thrown into his face. How was he supposed to react to this news? Shake Sakura's hand and say, "Well done. Thanks for telling me. Now together we can take down the man responsible for your clan's death."
He scoffed. Even she knew how ridiculous that would have been. The only evidence he had that she was telling the truth was that she knew his brother's last words and that she couldn't disobey his commands. She showed no sign of being slightly skilled and he had never even had whiff of her having a Kekkei Genkei.
But there was the part about training with him. He remembered her the little girl with her hair stuffed into her hat. She was one of the ones that-
A shriek sounded from bellow pulling him from his thoughts, and he inwardly cringed. Karin was back. Sakura's pink head appeared underneath where he was sitting, and Karin followed closely behind her. Sakura was ignoring everything Karin was shouting at her and Sasuke was finding it increasingly difficult to do so as well.
It sounded like she was accusing Sakura of sleeping with him. Where had she gotten such a ridiculous notion?
"Would you just shut up already?" Sakura burst turning on her heel and staring Karin down.
Karin looked taken aback but quickly recomposed her face to one of anger. "Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Karin screamed back.
"Because I could kill you without lifting a finger," Sakura explained simply crossing her arms. "Now you could accept what I say about you being incorrect or I could put you in your place - which I assure you isn't even on the totem pole."
Karin hesitated for a moment before rushing forward. Karin was on her back unconscious in an instant, and Sasuke jumped to his feet a moment later. Sakura marched back inside unfazed by the entire encounter.
Sasuke leapt to the ground and followed after Sakura. He couldn't have seen what he thought he saw. He took two swift strides before grabbing Sakura's forearm and forcing her to turn around.
"What the heck was that," Sasuke demanded as Sakura looked about ready to punch him.
He couldn't have mistaken seeing a glint of red.
A gloomy Kakashi and Naruto in her office was not what Tsunade was expecting when she woke up this morning. They were back way earlier than she would have expected. Naruto looked ashamed but he also looked as if he was ready to rip her office apart all at the same time. It was hard to guess what Kakashi's expression meant; His only visible eye seemed void of any emotion.
"What's this about?" Tsunade asked briskly. It was too early to deal with an angry Naruto and an uncharacteristically serious Kakashi.
Naruto opened his mouth to say something, shut it, opened it again, and was silenced by Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. A few more moments of silence passed.
"I'm waiting," Tsunade barked. Her patience was not extremely high today.
Kakashi cleared his throat before trying to figure out where to start. "Tsunade," Kakashi finally began and Naruto flinched slightly as if he was about to get reprimanded. Tsunade raised a curious eyebrow urging him to continue. "Naruto and I would like a mission."
"What kind of mission?" Tsunade asked.
"Not really a mission, more permission to leave the village," Kakashi corrected himself.
"What for?" Tsunade questioned. She wasn't a pushover.
Naruto opened his mouth to say something to Kakashi, but Kakashi put his hand over Naruto's mouth. "We have a breakthrough in Sakura's case, but we need a two-man squad to proceed."
Tsunade stared at Kakashi. "How is this not a mission?"
"Some of the things we may do might not be," he paused as he searched for the right word, "sanctioned by the village."
"Kakashi, what are you planning?" Tsunade asked straight-forward.
"We may have discovered a new member of Akatsuki that is responsible for Sakura's death," Kakashi answered honestly.
"A new member?"
"The evidence isn't certain."
Tsunade pursed her lips before replying, "As far as anyone is concerned you and Naruto are doing reconnaissance."
Kakashi nodded, "Understood."
He left the room with a very confused Naruto behind him.
"Kakashi, why did you-"
"I'm not going to have Sakura labeled as a nukenin until we've heard the story."
Naruto nodded slowly, still confused.
"Get packed, we're leaving immediately," Kakashi ordered.
Naruto sprinted back to his house. The table was still broken and papers strewn across the floor. It was strange how quickly things changed. A few weeks ago he thought Sakura was dead. Now, he was wondering how she was alive and why she was with the Akatsuki.
"Tell me what I saw," Sasuke demanded grabbing Sakura's arm tightly. He could picture a bruise forming underneath his hand and held back the sadistic smirk that threatened to spread across his face.
"And why should I?" Sakura responded not cowering under his gaze or grip.
"Sakura, I command you to tell me," Sasuke growled.
"You'll find that that is the one command I cannot be forced to follow," Sakura responded not cowering under his gaze or grip. "I have spent my entire life hiding from that man. I am not going to let that all go to waste just because you got a little curious."
"Sakura, if I saw what I think I saw I'll-"
"What? Seek revenge on me? Try to kill me?" Sakura asked her voice mocking and her expression one of fake fear. Her face suddenly turned serious before she continued. "That seems to be the only thing you're good at."
"Don't talk about matters you know nothing about."
"I think I've already stated that I know at least some of what you went through."
Sasuke's grip tightened even more. "You know nothing, Sakura. Even if you claim that all of what you said is true, you can't expect me to believe you."
"Why?" Sakura shouted jerking her arm out of Sasuke's grip. "Because it doesn't fit into your hate consumed world? Because you can't believe your brother would be disappointed in the things you've done?"
"He wouldn't be," Sasuke growled, "he would be just as disgusted as I am that Konoha enjoys the freedom they were given because of him while still cursing his name."
Sakura slapped him unexpectedly. "How dare you taint his name? How dare you bring him down to your pathetic level? You want to kill a village just because they're happy? Because they don't know what Itachi did for them? Itachi chose his path for the good of Konoha! He planned on them hating him and never knowing his sacrifice. That is the path he chose! He knew that they were blindly enjoying freedom he gave them, and he was happy about it! It's like you're spitting on his grave by throwing aside everything he did for them."
"You don't know Itachi like I did, Sakura."
"You're right, apparently I knew him better than you did. You're just so arrogant and prideful that you can't accept that someone else may be right. You're just like my grandfather!"
"I don't care what you think, Sakura! Those hateful people smile and enjoy everything they don't know about."
"So just tell them and see if they're still as happy after find out! And you know what, I don't care that you think the world is against you!" Sakura shouted. "Stop making your troubles sound worse than everyone else's. You aren't the only one that has suffered in this world, Sasuke."
"They killed my clan-"
"And two years ago you were blaming that on Itachi! If you don't stop this now then you are always going to need someone to blame."
"That's not true-"
"Believe it or not I'm trying to help you. I'm on your side. I just want you to make your own decisions and stop being controlled by everyone else."
"Like I really care that a pathetic pathological liar is on my side. You've admitted to lying your whole life - and being good at it. Why should I believe you or rejoice at the fact that you're giving me help I have no need for."
"Because it's not about me! It's about Itachi!"
"I'm not sure I even know who that is anymore!" Sasuke exploded, shocking Sakura. "My whole life I wanted Itachi to end up being that same brother I always loved, but didn't see how it could be possible. Don't tell me that you hated me for not believing in Itachi when I of all people wanted him to be the good guy."
"And he wanted you to be the good guy. Funny how that works."
"Uchiha were never meant to be the good guys," Sasuke said turning away from Sakura. He was done here.
"Do not walk away from this!" Sakura shouted. "Would you for once just listen and sort out your problems instead of running around in circles!"
"Why?" Sasuke shouted turning around and glaring at Sakura. "Sorting out my problems never got me anywhere. Pull the plank out of your eye before pointing out the splinter in someone else's."
"I've tried. Do you think that I enjoy having to mess with your head? That I enjoy turning your life upside down?"
"You sure do a good job for someone that doesn't enjoy it.
"I hate myself!" Sakura yelled turning on her heel and facing Sasuke. "Is that what you've been waiting to hear from me? I have lied to everyone I've ever known, and I hate myself for it! I don't even know who I am anymore! I'm so sick of lying to people and I'm so sick of myself! Does that make you happy to hear? Are you satisfied now?"
She was surprised when Sasuke sank to the floor and fisted his hands in his hair. "No," Sasuke responded weakly. "I don't know what I want to hear anymore. I've spent my whole life believing Itachi was to blame, but now it's the elders, or Madara, or Konoha, or is it myself?"
Sakura suddenly felt like she had been running a marathon. She sank onto the floor next to Sasuke. "You are not to blame, Sasuke. That I am sure of."
Sasuke shook his head while still staring at the ground. "How can you know that?"
Sakura shrugged, "I just do."
"I killed the best man to come from Konoha just because of revenge that ended up meaning nothing," Sasuke explained. "How does that make me innocent?"
"Every ninja has had blood stain their hands at least once," Sakura whispered. "Sometimes we just have to let go."
Sasuke let out a sigh. Sakura could tell he was growing uncomfortable.
"What was Karin calling you a whore fore anyway?" Sasuke asked changing the subject.
"Well, someone didn't give me permission to leave his room last nigh, so Karin came in and found me sleeping in your bed," Sakura answered turning to Sasuke. He showed no guilt and just nodded.
Sakura stood up to leave Sasuke with his thoughts but was stopped by his next words.
"Maybe my hate for Konoha is my way of covering the fact that I hate myself for killing him."
Sakura shook her head. "You shouldn't hate yourself for that. Trust me."
I feel like it's been a while since I have updated, has it? Anywho... I am so happy to finally have this chunk done with! How'd you guys feel about it? I like it, but I feel as though I could have done a better job with it.
Holy Brown Cow! This story is getting closer and closer to being completed. I feel kind of sad...
A HUGE MASSIVE THANK YU TO: OracleOfTheShadows, Sumiku Agaishi, Neko the kawatta cat, sasyd, CJ122, Sarah-Manami, and .X (who got the hint in the last chapter HURRAH for you!) Yu guys really are the greatest.
In case anyone is curious, Sasuke is married to Temari... And by that I mean the voice actor for Sasuke (Yuri Lowenthal) is married to the voice actor for Temari (Tara Platt). The end.
The Fuzz \|/