Stand By Me
Chapter 9 - Shake it Out
''Regrets collect like old friends, here to relive your darkest moments, I can see no way - I can see no way - and all of the ghouls come out to play.''
Sakura wasn't exactly sure how long she'd been in the Void this time, but it was much longer than previous times.
Once she'd arrived Itachi was there again. His eyes showing something she never expected...remorse.
He'd told her that he did not know Madara's Guard was coming and Sakura surprisingly, did not blame him. Getting caught was her own fault, and at the end of the day she had found Sasuke...or more accurately - he found her.
In this time, Itachi had taught her to play Shougi. Sakura had somehow always preferred go to Shougi, but Itachi enjoyed it and showed her a few moves.
Slowly, her fear of this man began to ebb away and she began to notice small things about him, how - like Sasuke, his emotions were always well controlled but it wasn't a constant thing with him, he would sometimes show how shocked he was at a certain move she pulled in the game or smile a small smile. He had the Uchiha arrogance, but it wasn't a conscious thing on his part, mostly he was pretty humble and had a sense of humor that Sakura would never have expected.
''You don't wear those high collar shirts? I thought it was an Uchiha thing?''
Itachi lifted an eyebrow, clearly not expecting the random question, and he could honestly say that he'd never met anyone like Haruno Sakura, she was...strange but amusing.
''In a way, yes, some Uchiha wear them, but I would say its more of a Sasuke thing these days.'' he answered.
''He has a lot of 'things' doesn't he?'' she muttered and made her move.
Itachi chuckled slightly. ''Like?'' he played his turn and Sakura let out a soft curse.
''Like that ridiculous...thing, you know...that Oto bow...I don't know what to call it.'' she said, clearly annoyed with the mere visualization of said thing.
Itachi lifted an eyebrow. It was more than obvious that her dislike of the offending thing went deeper than what she mentioned. It was a symbol of Sasuke's betrayal. Not just to Konoha, but to her.
''I am not a fan of it myself,'' Itachi told her honestly.
''Of course not! Its disgusting, frankly.'' she went on.
Yes, Haruno Sakura was very amusing, and as Itachi watched her rant on and on about Sasuke's...bow he became more and more sure that this girl was a good thing in his brother's life, even if his little brother hasn't realized that yet.
x-x-x-x-
Sasuke entered the room he'd placed Sakura in. Three days had passed and she was still fast asleep. She hadn't developed a fever, thank Kami for small miracles. All she did was sleep and sleep. Sasuke began to wonder if she wasn't in some kind of coma. How was he supposed to break that to Naruto?
'Where's Sakura-chan?'
'Shes in a coma.'
If Naruto was anything like he remembered, then that was a conversation he'd like to avoid.
The truth was, Sasuke was a bit...apprehensive to see both of them again. The final battle had not exactly gone as he had planned, and that was a first for him. Things usually went as he foresaw. But then again, he always had back-up plans. There was no back-up plan for that battle. And he had failed. It drove him crazy, not in the way he thought it would, in a way that he knew...the state of the world was partly a result of his failure, Naruto and Sakura would see that and they would blame him...and if they didn't - well then they were fools. Sasuke turned away from Sakura and punched the wall in his frustration.
''Sas...Sasuke-'' her voice was cut off and she had to clear it. Sasuke stood frozen for a second, he hadn't anticipated her waking up.
Slowly, he turned around. Her eyes were wide and green and alert. He gave her a nod.
She managed a small smile, he could see it hurt her, her lip was split and swollen.
''Do...can I have some water?'' she rasped and tried to sit up, wincing as she went but he pushed her down, his hands weren't forceful but they weren't taking no for an answer, and Sakura relented with a frustrated sigh.
''Don't. Move.'' he commanded before he ducked out of the room.
Sakura waited impatiently. Her thoughts foolishly stuck on the fact that...he touched her. He could have just told her to lay down. But...he touched her. His hands, so big and warm...
Sakura snapped out of her thoughts. What the hell was she? 13? No, thank you. So she did something important she made an assessment of her injuries.
Her face, back and shoulders hand extensive burns. Her legs...Kami, raw and cut up...the material of her shorts were burnt into the raw skin. She felt her stomach turn at the thought. Her finger was also broken, and had probably healed that way.
Sakura reached over, and felt, yup it was healing. She had to break it back into place.
Sakura took a deep breath. Ok, on three...one, two...three. She broke it back, she bit her lip, but forgot it was injured. She let out a yelp and the door opened a second later.
Sasuke was looking at her with a scowl.
''What's going on?'' he asked.
''Im...breaking my finger back into place?'' she said almost sheepishly.
Sasuke gave her a look, 'what the fuck' written all over his features.
Sakura only noticed it then, a glass of water and a plate. Once he set it down she noticed the apple pieces, chopped up and skinned. She wondered if he noticed the irony of it, if he remembered how she had done just this for him.
Sasuke noticed her staring at the plate but he said nothing, because it meant nothing. She hadn't eaten in three days, and this was simply something small that he could prepare quickly. That was all it was.
''Im going out.'' he said and turned.
''Where is Naruto?'' she asked before he could leave.
Sasuke stopped, ''He's fine. I'll be back.''
Sakura watched him leave. Listened to his footsteps disappear out a door and then the house was silent.
Sakura clenched her sensitive teeth and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She reached over and first took the water, sipping slowly until the glass was empty. Then she picked up the plate of apples and began to eat, slowly at first and then she seemed to shove it all down, she hadn't had a proper meal since she woke up at Kalika's and she was starving.
It occurred to her that Sasuke had done something for her...and that made her smile.
x-x-x-x-
Naruto! He saves her life and all she can ask about is fucking Naruto? Sasuke wanted to stab himself with a kunai for that thought. He doesn't even care. Maybe, yes, he expected a 'thank you' but the first thing she asked for was Naruto, really?
For fuck sakes! What was wrong with him today? Who the fuck cares what Sakura thinks? He only needed them until Madara is dead, and then he'd never see them again. Simple. Easy. Not really.
The fact was, Naruto and Sakura...made him question things that he was much happier never thinking about. They never fucking give up.
Sasuke dropped into a clearing where Suigetsu and Juugo were waiting.
''Sasuke!'' Suigetsu called when the Uchiha came into with and Juugo gave his quiet greeting.
''I see they're still crawling around.'' Sasuke said, referring to the Shadows.
''They found some kind of identification for that girl and now they're searching for her.'' Juugo told him, ''Is she alright?''
Sasuke glanced at him. ''She'll be fine. Where is Naruto?''
''He's in the town over by the fountains.'' Suigetsu said with a smirk.
Sasuke frowned. ''Are you sure?''
Suigetsu let out a laugh that had him clutching his stomach.
''Yes,'' Juugo said, ''He's staying at one of the...Inns.''
Sasuke blinked, his face emotionless. ''Which one?''
''Pleasure Palace.'' Suigetsu said and exploded in fits of laughter.
Sasuke stood, expression completely unamused on the surface.
The name in itself was completely unoriginal for one.
''He's staying under the name Nami. No last name...apparently prostitutes don't need one.'' Juugo said with a straight face but Suigetsu found that especially hilarious as he started at Sasuke's reaction, which was almost well-masked worry.
''Hn.'' Sasuke said and walked off, Suigetsu's laughter and his discomfort echoed behind him.
Sasuke had always avoided Love Hotels. He'd heard some disgusting things from Orochimaru and frankly, he had no business there, so why stray from his goals for something he could care less about? Don't get him wrong, there had been times where he couldn't help but think of sex. He was a man, and there was the occasion where he'd woken up...stiff. But it was a problem he'd quickly fixed himself. Sex had never been high on his agenda, initially he'd thought that he would die in his battle with Itachi, and when he didn't, more goals replaced the previous one.
The girls in Konoha had misinterpreted his statement about reviving his clan. Taking it in a sexual sense, when he hadn't even considered it that way. It simply meant he wanted to restore their honor, the once-great Uchiha name.
x-x-x-x-x-
Sakura laid around, trying to mentally prepare herself for what she needed to do. She threw the blanket to the foot of the bed. Her shorts were burned away to the tops of her legs, she couldn't wear them again; but that wasn't what she noticed first...bandages were tied around her thighs.
''Oh...Sasuke...'' she whispered as she closed her eyes.
What changed? He'd been so ready...so ready to kill her and now he was bringing her ironic apples and treating her wounds. And of course, saving her life...again.
Sakura used a chakra scalpel to cut away both bandages at the same time. They stuck to her raw flesh. Sakura grabbed a point on both the bandages. Counted to 3, held her breath and gently pulled them off. The flesh was jagged and raw...like bloody mince. The material of what once was her shorts was burnt in between the flesh.
Sakura cursed. This was going to be a painful bitch.
She was going to have to wash her hands and find a pair of tweezers or something of the like, that she could sterilize and then she needed to clean out the wound and heal it.
First though, to put off walking she healed her lip and put some soothing chakra into her gums before she attempted to lift her leg. The pain was incredible, but dammit, she was determined. Sakura swung her leg off the bed, the effort had sweat breaking out on her forehead. She caught her breath before she swung the other leg off and paused again, working up the courage to stand. She looked around for something to use as a crutch. No such luck.
''Great.'' she muttered and blew out a deep breath. ''You can do this.'' she told herself and then she stood. Pain shot through her legs and she stumbled forward, placing the weight on the wall. It didn't help much but she refused to give up, stumbling along the wall until she made it to the doorframe. She was panting by the time she finally made it. Outside was a hall with a door opposite her's and two more down the hall and one at the very end that she assumed was the master bedroom. The other end opened up to what she assumed would be a living room or something of the like. Sakura pushed herself to the door in front her. She gripped onto the doorframe but one of her hands slipped, she felt her legs give in but she gripped the door knob and it turned under her grip. What she assumed was a bathroom...was not. It was...Sasuke's bedroom. She swallowed, her eyes drinking in the sight of their own accord. His bed, dark sheets and pillows - neatly made. The floor was spotless. As neat as she expected him to be, but...the walls were cluttered with pages upon pages of information. On the Shadows. On Madara. The page to her immediate right left her cold. It confirmed that Kakashi was a Shadow. Another page had information recorded on Konoha's destruction and that...that Madara was now there. It was now his main stronghold.
There was a list, that she assumed he made first, of people who were alive.
Uchiha Sasuke
Uzumaki Naruto
Haruno Sakura
Hatake Kakashi
Gaara Temari Kankuro - escaped Suna after destruction. Marks Madara's first appearance after war ended.
Suna's gone...?
Sakura saw the names of the rookie 9 had been scratched out, everyone he could have thought of was scratched out.
Yakushi Kabuto
Madara?
Jiraiya? Did he not know? That Jiraiya was...
Sakura ducked out of the room. Afraid he would catch her and then she stumbled down the hall to the next door, which was luckily, a bathroom. It was a fairly large bathroom. On one it it held a large bath, and on the other there was a shower, also of a large size. Uchihas...heh, seems they did nothing in small.
From the door, Sakura took hold of the sink and looked into the mirror above it.
She didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. Blonde hair, dirty with old blood, sticking to pale, 'sun'burnt, pasty skin. Thin face, eyes seemed to sink into it, dark rings under them. At least she'd healed her lip. She reached up and opened the cabinet, thankfully moving the mirror away. She found a pair of tweezers easily and maneuvered to the toilet where she sat down on the closed seat and fell into medical mode. She did a Jutsu, sterilizing the tweezers before she began to pluck the pieces of material from both wounds.
One by one, she pulled them out. Sometimes they would stick to her flesh painfully, but she was proud of herself - she didn't cry. Next, Sakura looked through the cabinet for something to clean the wound out with. She couldn't find anything, so she used her arms to lift herself onto the counter next to the sink and laid the leg across it. She let the water run and ran it over the wound as much as she could because it stung the hell out of her. Once it was done, she began the healing Jutsu on the first leg, her chakra didn't have a soothing affect as she had hoped, it hurt so much her toes curled and all her muscles were stiff from holding her form, it felt like she endured the pain forever when she was done. But she wasn't done yet. She had another leg waiting for her.
x-x-x-x-
Sasuke stepped into the establishment where Naruto was said to be. He kept his hood over his head and headed straight for the front desk.
''Hi, we aim to serve your every need.'' the girl behind the desk said. She was wearing next to nothing. Bold pink locks fell from her head, obviously fake - they did not match the brown of her eyebrows. She licked her lips and narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look at him.
''How can I serve you today, my lord?'' they were obviously very in character with this palace theme.
Sasuke walked around the desk and her eyes widened.
''Oh, no, uh...there's no
touching in this side of the palace!'' she stuttered, getting out of her chair and backing up. Sasuke caught her chin and made her look into his red eyes. He searched her mind for Naruto. Anything to tip him off, a characteristic, movement something. Sasuke didn't expect it to be so easy though. Naruto had always been fond of his sexy-no-jutsu, he was an idiot to be walking around in it now, but Sasuke assumed that no one would actually thing twice because Naruto was supposed to be dead right? No one except Madara.
''You will go to...Nami, and you will deliver a message.'' he spoke quickly and quietly.
''You will tell her Team 7 will be having ramen and relaying the words to Ninki at the edge of the forest in a week at nightfall. Not a minute later. Do you understand?''
''I do.'' she whispered, her eyes dull and vacant.
''And when you have finished this, you will forget and have no memory of this event. Understood?''
Before she could nod, Sasuke was gone.
The girl went up the stairs to the third floor, down the hall to room 22 where she knocked twice.
''Nami, open up, its Kiyaku.'' she said, her voice void and empty.
The door opened and a blonde with blue eyes peeked her head out.
''Kiyaku, everything ok?''
''Team 7 will be having ramen and relaying the words to Ninki at the edge of the forest, exactly a week from now at nightfall.''
Nami blinked. Ninki. The song Sasuke wanted them to remember during the chuunin exams...fuck...what were the words again...?
His eyes widened. This isn't about Ninki, it was never about Ninki.
''Ramen?'' Nami asked, drool pooling in her mouth.
''Nami-...did you want something?'' Kiyaku blinked, focus returning to her.
''Uh, no...''
Kiyaku glared and turned away, walking swiftly back to her dress.
Naruto shut the door and thought over the message. A week from today, at the edge of the forest, team 7, day break. Ramen.
No, wait. Nightfall. No...that didn't sound right.
Naruto groaned.
x-x-x-x-
Sakura finished both legs, healed her back while standing with her back to the mirror and healing what she could see, the rest she just sort-of had to feel where it hurt. The chakra she sent to her back and shoulders had a cool effect that she loved. Once she was done, she healed some more on her face, and even if it was still pale the pasty look had disappeared.
Sakura walked somewhat evenly to the bathtub and ran herself a bath, since it had been a while since shes been able to clean herself and frankly, she deserved a long, hot bath after what she'd been through.
That thought made her stop. Her hand clenching the already-opened tap of the tub. Recalling the entire situation had her hyperventilating. Sakura shut her eyes and took deep breaths. She is a kunoichi. She'd protected Naruto. She protected her identity. She was safe. Sasuke saved her.
She repeated it like a mantra until she was calm and then she stripped off her clothes and slid into the hot bath with a delighted moan. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, just beginning to relax when a door slammed open and heavy footsteps echoed down the hall and into the bathroom.
Fuck. She hadn't closed the door.
Sakura kept herself level with the water, she heard clothes hit the floor and then the shower cut on and the glass door shut. Sakura sat stiff, not even daring to breathe, because just a mere few feet from her, Uchiha Sasuke was showering. Naked.
Didn't he know she was in here?
Fuckkkkk!
Ok, think. Think! There must be a way out of this.
The only solution seemed to wait until he would leave the room, hopefully leaving her unnoticed.
Not likely. Sasuke would never not notice another presence - twice.
She wanted to cry from frustration. Why her? And why now when she looked like she hadn't eaten in a long time. Yes, she shouldn't care what Sasuke thought of her but she did...she probably always would.
Sakura bit her lip. Ok, so she was in a bathroom with a naked Sasuke, when else would she get this chance?
Sakura bit her lip and sneakily peaked over the edge. The bathroom had begun to fill up with steam. Geez, how hot did he like the water?
Sakura squinted her eyes, so she could make him out through the steam. His hair was still sticking up like a duck butt even though it was wet, he had one hand against the wall, head seemed to be hung down, his back was to her and the muscles flexed deliciously beneath the pressure of the water, her eyes dipped down to his hips - when he moved! She clamped her lips together and slid down with slow movements, until she was again level with the water, and trying to control her erratic heartbeat.
Moments later, the water shut off and the door opened, there was a rustle of material.
Sakura, even in her state of panic couldn't stop her mind from wandering.
She imagined herself standing up, water dripping down her body impressively, Sasuke would stand, looking shocked for a moment, and then he would approach her with the nonchalance that only he could manage, he would drop his towel and climb into the tub.
''You're thoughts are loud, Sakura.''
Sakura jumped at his voice and then submerged herself with a splash, hearing faintly how the bathroom door shut and wanting to drown of embarrassment.
x-x-x-x-
Dinner was a silent affair, Sasuke had prepared a simple dinner of eggs, scrambled on toast. Sakura had the idea that he could make nothing else, but she was grateful. She needed to start building up her system slowly.
At first, she didn't dare look at him, but she knew that would only prove what she had been doing (that she, of course, shouldn't have been) and she was determined to prove that she hadn't been doing it. So she looked at him, and he was naturally on to her, acting like he couldn't care less. His eyes seemed to dare her to say something, but she gave him the silent treatment, not because of the bathroom incident but because...what exactly did she have to say to him?
Reminiscing about Konoha, the village that he wanted to destroy, that was destroyed just a few days ago? She didn't even want to touch that one.
How was his time with Orochimaru?
How was he doing after...he killed his brother?
Ugh...she was at a loss. So, she did what she was familiar with around Sasuke. She babbled.
''You know what's funny? All three of us were trained by Sannin. Its kinda weird. You were trained by Orochimaru, Naruto was trained by Jiraiya-san and I trained under Tsunade-shisou.'' Sasuke seemed shocked that she had spoken, but she just babbled on about how hard she found training at first but after a while as she actually became stronger, it became easier and she enjoyed it. She told him that she was not second in command, to Shizune, at the Konoha Hospital...or well she was. She told him about work at the hospital and how she loved most working with children and right before the war she was treating a small girl who had cancer. Sakura wasn't sure if Sasuke was listening, but she was mostly just trying to fill the empty silence.
x-x-x-x-
The week mostly passed with Sakura eating and training, trying to regain what had been lost. Sasuke was working on some maps, making more of his notes. Sometimes he would come work outside while she trained or, mostly, he worked inside. The days went by, Sakura would wake up, eat, train, shower, eat, sleep, Sasuke would work while she trained. Sometimes when she would wake up, Sasuke would come in from his training. It was a bit annoying why he wouldn't just train with her but she assumed he had things to hide.
At the end of the week at breakfast, Sasuke spoke to her. ''We're going out today.''
Sakura looked up at him from her plate. ''Where are we going?''
''To get Naruto.'' he said simply.
Sakura couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.
''Come with me.'' Sasuke said and stood up, Sakura followed silently as he went down the hall of bedrooms and to the door at the end of the hall. The one she never dared enter. He pushed open the door slowly, his face an emotionless mask.
Sakura hesitated before following, she saw that he was tense.
Sasuke went to the large closet and opened the door. It was divided. One side held woman's clothing and the other a man's.
His parents...
Sakura looked over at him, but he avoided her eyes.
''Pick something.'' he said, she could hear the strain in his voice as he battled to keep it even. She couldn't say no after it was obviously so hard for him to do this.
Sakura hesitated before she tentatively touched the clothes. Uchiha Mikoto was a very stylish woman. Beautiful, from what photos Sakura had been able find.
Mikoto was a Shinobi one of Konoha's finest. Sakura picked out a dress, a deep purple one and skin tight long back pants that was the same material as the previous one, with flat sandals that tied around her ankles that she could easily travel with. Sasuke reached out and touched a dark dress in the closet and Sakura felt as if she was intruding on something personal.
Sasuke took the items from her hands and stared at them, his chest rising and falling slowly and with that same slowness, he put the clothes back in her hands. His hands shook.
''Take what you need.'' he said roughly before he left the room quickly.
Sakura stood there for a second before she allowed the tears to run down her cheeks. Her back was against the closet door and she slid down it, biting her lip as she let herself cry softly, for him...because Naruto was right. Sasuke, no matter what, was still Sasuke and he always had this pain.
''its always darkest before the dawn.''
heeey! Another update! I am on a roll! Lol!
I love the ending of this chapter, listened to Samidare from the Shippuuden soundtrack while writing it.
Soooooo, not much happened in the chapter but obviously once the team is together things are going to start rolling in a certain direction.
Next chapter...hmm...a little spoiler, Sasuke shares some information
Sasuke and Sakura have a...disagreement. In public.
Naruto is so adorably himself
Ninki?
So, as with all the chapters, this story's title comes from a song, Stand By Me. Can anyone guess the artist? :) its so easy and an awesome song! Give it a listen!
Please review!
Zana-Lee
xoxo