Hello readers! I apologize for the previous chapter being so depressing, but it's all apart of the plot. Please don't stop ready just because of one depressing chapter; there's still more to come that will keep you on the edge of your seats. There may be some spelling and grammatical errors present.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.
Chapter 4: Choice
"Answer the question!" Sasuke bellowed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mizuki said frightened.
Sasuke released the safety on his gun. He was beginning to lose his patience with the man's fake friendly passive attitude. The dark-haired man was unconcerned about the consequences of insubordination after already having broke protocol. He didn't care anymore about the rule for he was exposing the traitor. All he wanted at the moment was to plant a bullet in his victim's skull and cut him up into unrecognizable pieces.
"What's the meaning of this Itachi?" Minato asked.
Itachi didn't answer the question and placed his laptop down as he flipped the screen up. He unplugged the cables connected to the current device and inserted them into his. The projector displayed two surveillance footage of the entrance to Sasuke's apartment. The time and date on the bottom left corner indicated the videos were recorded at the same time, but the footage on both was completely different. The video on the left showed an empty hallway with the door closed. The recording on the right showed three unknown assailants breaking into the apartment. Once the door was open, two went in and the third stayed outside. As time went by, a sword suddenly shot through the wall and into the third victim's throat. After the blade was drawn back, Sasuke appeared in the doorway to scan the hallway before he and a pregnant Sakura ran out.
Once the footage was over, the raven-haired man typed a few keys on the keyboard and an old video footage filmed from the organization's garage came up. Everyone watched as Mizuki, Izumi, and another agent headed toward one of the parked cars. Once they placed a few cases in the back trunk, Izumi and the other agent entered the vehicle. Mizuki was leaning against the driver's side door when he pulled out a gun and fired two shots. Izumi immediately got out of the automobile and ran, but was shot in the neck before she could go anywhere. Mizuki walked over toward the dark-haired woman with the gun pointed at her head. The traitor turned his gaze toward the entrance and quickly fled. A large SUV pulled in slowly and upon realizing the woman bleeding out, Itachi sprinted out of the front passenger's seat. He instantly went over to his dying wife's side as Sasuke exited the back seat to check on the other agent in the car. Not wanting to relive the horrible memory, Itachi stopped the video and the screen went blank.
Murmurs began to fill the room. Ever since the death of Izumi within the walls of headquarters, it was suspected an enemy had infiltrated just to carry out the one mission. No one ever expected there to be a mole much less a traitor within the organization. The man they had trusted for so long to surveillance their daily safety was guilty of two murders and endangering others. During the investigation, some clues lead to the conclusion the facility had been infiltrated. It was the assumption that the two agents must have found out and known who it was. To keep their identities a secret, the perpetrator had to kill the two and fled once the task was completed.
"Where did you find this?" Minato asked.
"The surveillance system was designed to record everything unless the entire system is shut down," Itachi explained. "Reruns and stills never fully override the original recording and can be retrieved. Both actual and fake footages are then loaded into the secured backup drive. Unfortunately, original recordings can be hidden if a code is attached to the file before upload." He turned to his senior. "Find the abnormal code and you're able to locate the file. The footage of the attack on Sasuke and Sakura contains a layer of code that rerun a specific portion of the video, hence the notification of a false alarm."
The director couldn't believe Itachi had hacked into the system to find the evidence he was presenting. Out of the Konoha branch, only the director and two others had direct access to the servers. He has gone through the severs himself and found nothing, likely because he didn't quite know what to look for. Even though the older Uchiha was a field agent, his deceased wife was the brain behind manipulating the cyber world. The only reason why Izumi was ever recruited into the organization was because of her virus and hack coding capabilities; it was better to have the best working with you than against you.
"His login activity shows he tampered with the monitoring system and the videos," Itachi said. "What was just shown is more than enough proof of his betrayal."
Sasuke's onyx orbs began to change into crimson. "Talk," he commanded Mizuki. His gaze showed pure hatred as they spun dangerously slow. "Before I make you regret your decision for betraying us."
Minato clenched his fists tightly. The idea of a spy had been brought once before after the death of Izumi, but it was inconclusive. It frustrated him to know that the enemy was right in front of them the whole time and they knew nothing about it. With the evidence Itachi had presented, all that was left to do was to attempt to get the information they needed.
"Ibiki," the director called out.
A tall man dressed in a large zipped up black trenched coat stood from his seat. His face was covered in scars as a black bandana covered the top of his head. His piercing dark eyes seem to peer into a person's soul as if passing judgment. No one could forget the intimidating stare of the man that lead interrogations. His title as head of the torture and interrogation department wasn't just for show for his methods never failed to get the needed information. He walked over to Sasuke and cuffed the rat held at gunpoint.
"We need know is who he's working for," Minato said. "Get the information any way you see fit."
Ibiki nodded knowing fully well the task he was given wasn't an easy one. Breaking someone who had gone through profuse training wasn't going to be simple. Sasuke pulled back as the lead interrogator grabbed the man's shoulder to lead him to his doom. As they walked passed the young agent, Mizuki began to chuckle darkly.
—xXx—
"I should have you two under probation," Minato said as he and the Uchiha brothers entered his office. He took a seat behind his desk completely stressed. "Besides getting involved in the case, Sasuke knocked out the guards to bring a gun into the conference room and Itachi hacked into the system."
The brothers sat in front of the director, unfazed by the words their boss spoke. They already knew they were going to get an ear full from the director for doing what they did. No one was allowed any sort of weapon in the conference room and to get through, Sasuke anesthetized the guards using a small dose from the tranquilizer bullets. Itachi could have authorization granted to search the backup system if the director was present during the search, but he decided to bypass all procedures to avoid tipping off possible enemies.
"They bare the name Uchiha," a white-haired man said as she entered with Tsunade following behind. "Did you think they were going to sit back and relax?"
He was dressed in a dark suit with long white hair styled like kabuki actors. Upon his face were two red tattooed lines that ran from the corner of his eyes down his face. Though in his early sixties, he was fairly fit and possessed the personality resembling that of a high school teenager unless he was discussing serious matters.
Minato just sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Ever since the death of Fugaku, Jiraiya–sensei has been undercover searching for information."
"Unfortunately," Jiraiya said. "I've been meeting dead ends all the time." He reached into his pants pocket and tossed several silver bullets onto the desk. "But I always found these at the locations that got me fairly close."
The large metal projectiles were familiar to all eyes in the room, but one stood out among the rest. Instead of the spiral design with unrecognizable etching, the lone piece resembles a regular bullet with deep engraving. Reaching his hand out, Sasuke picked up the lone bullet to examine it closer.
"Looks familiar, doesn't it?" Jiraiya asked Sasuke. "That was the first one I found and everything else has been those. I speculate the new bullet design is based on that one." Sasuke glanced over at the white-haired man before turning his gaze back at the projectile he had in his hand. "Your late mentor was the one who created that and use it in his arsenal. I believe you've used it before as well."
"He was not my mentor," said the youngest agent in the room. "I never considered him as one."
The face of the pale man with the eyes resembling closely to snakes entered his mind. For three years Sasuke had trained under the man to better his skills, unknowing he was being used. The man was extremely dedicated to the organization's science department, always looking for solutions to solve the flaws in human physical limitations. When multiple offenses were found against the man, the once praised agent turned rogue.
"Orochimaru is dead," Sasuke said, tossing the ammunition onto the desk. "I put a bullet between his eye and heart."
"I know," Tsunade said as unwanted memories entering her mind. "I was the one that pronounced him dead at the scene, but you need to remember he had many followers outside. We could have missed one location or even just one person when we were sweeping through the various cities after Orochimaru's death."
"No," Jiraiya said. "I went through the trouble of checking every location and person after the incident with Fugaku. We cleaned every place out and everything was destroyed. The other branches have verified that too." The white-haired man punched a button on the keyboard and the footage of the integration room was projected onto the wall. "But now we got a key."
"Don't get your hopes up, boys." Tsunade took a seat on the sofa at the side of the room and crossed her legs. "We may have captured a spy, but we need a legitimate name to get us moving."
—xXx—
Sasuke quietly walked behind his brother as they headed back to their apartment, unsure of what to do for his wife. Tsunade informed him that Sakura had been discharged early and was sent back to their family's accommodation to rest. Being in the medical ward, especially in an unfamiliar location would have made her uncomfortable and possibly hinder her recovery. Before letting the married man leave, she had voiced her concerns regarding her pupil's mental state. They had suffered an enormous loss and Sakura was struggling with it more than anyone. Sasuke had thought about telling her the truth once he returned, but was well aware it could be too much for her to absorb in her current state. His wife wasn't a pushover, but seeing her fragile form and tears in the morning pulled at his heart.
The sound of a key being inserted snapped him out of his thoughts. He took a quiet deep breath to compose himself, not wanting his mother to worry about him too. When they entered their living facility, they were met with the smell of their mother's delicious cooking. The matriarch worked her magic in the kitchen area, making essential comfort food for the family to start their road to recovery. A meal was the easiest way to bring everyone together to keep each other company instead of being swallowed by their grief. She made sure the family would be together at the dinner table, even if it was going to be in complete silence.
"Welcome back boys," the raven-haired woman said as she settled two plates of homemade tomato pasta onto the small round table. "Dinner is almost ready." She turned her gaze over to her youngest son. "Can you get Sakura-chan? I know she might not have much of an appetite, but I made her some soup."
Nodding to his mother's request, Sasuke went to his bedroom to get his wife. His room had turned into temporary storage for the numerous boxes he and his wife had packed when they were preparing to move. Most of their packed belonging from their apartment had been moved to his family's accommodation or to his parent's house instead of renting a storage unit. Luckily most of their belongings were already at headquarters since they were planning to move out soon, especially the photo albums holding memories that could never be replaced.
When he entered, he found his wife sitting on the bed looking through a photo album. She was dressed in a red tank top and a pair of loose dark gray sweats with one of his hoodies draped over her shoulders. Seeing her sadden frail form pulled at his heart and he didn't know where to begin to help her heal. He walked over to her quietly, not wanting to disturb her knowing she was basking in the photos of happy memories to keep her mind occupied. She eventually stopped on a page that had a photo of them together, showing off her pregnant belly when she began to show. Her fingers ran over the memory of the photo as tears began slowly make its way down her cheeks.
Sasuke kindly removed the album from her hands and closed it, setting it aside to avoid the memory himself. He kneeled in front of her and took her chilly hands in his warm ones. He placed a light kiss against her knuckles then turned his gaze to her watery eyes. She was completely numb from the sorrow that filled her heart. He reached up with his right hand and cupped her cheek as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"When this is all over," he whispered to her, holding her hands tightly in his. "I promise I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
Sasuke whipped away the tears in her eyes with his hand. Even if he had become a stranger to her, she would always love him.
The sky was overcast as snow lightly fell to the ground covering everything in white. Without the use of a watch, no one would have known it was midday. Not a soul was present in the land filled with the dead except for the mourning family members. Several agents were quietly patrolling a distance away, watching the perimeter to allow the family within to focus on grieving. Any sort of risk and danger needed to be anticipated after what had happened just two days ago.
They stood upon the marble surface of the Uchiha family monument. The young couple stood at the front, dressed completely in the colors of mourning. Her long light-colored locks were tided up and hidden underneath a black beanie. She a black dress that reached down to her knees and black leggings to keep her legs warm. Knee-high boots added to shield her legs from the cold. The black coat she wore was matched the length of her dress and was fastened securely to her small frame. Her gloved right hand held a single white rose to her chest and her left hand held onto her husband's right arm. He wore black slacks and a pair of black dress boots. His black dress shirt was covered by his long dark coat. Tucked away and hidden by his winter coat was his silver handgun. He held a small golden urn in front of him.
His dark orbs looked over at his wife, letting her know that it was time to put their child to rest. She was reluctant to remove her hand, hoping everything was just a bad dream. Sasuke held the small jar in his hands as he walked forward and kneeled in front of the empty slot. He was hesitant, but he couldn't let his grief overcome the need to put his little girl to rest. Once the urn was placed in, he picked up the engraved granite tablet and sealed the opening for eternity. He ran his gloved finger over the white letterings of his child's name. It had been over a year ago they stood at the very site to put Izumi to rest and more than two for the head of the family. It was like a curse that was looming over them.
Kakashi stood close by, watching the heartbreaking scene before him. He had put his share of family to rest over the years, but this time it was different. Instead of burying a comrade who had died from either being in action or severe injuries, he watched his first grandchild being put to rest. He couldn't begin to imagine the heartache his daughter felt. It was never right to see a parent put their child to rest no matter the reason.
Sakura stepped up with the white rose in her hand and kneeled beside her husband. As she held back her tears, she placed the flower down for her baby girl. Her sadden eyes stared at the single date on the tablet under her name, it was the day after her parent's anniversary. Dark orbs turned to look at the woman beside him and he watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She kissed the fingers of her right hand before placing it over their child's name. Sasuke helped her up and guided her away, knowing it was difficult for her to accept. Itachi watched the couple walk past him as he stared at the tomb bearing his wife's name.
He saw his mother walk up and place her white rose down. Before turning to leave, she went to the tome bearing her husband's name and asked him to take care of their granddaughter. Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto also set their roses down before leaving. Itachi held Toya's tiny hand in his as they walked over to place their white rose.
"Is Suki-chan going to live with mommy?" the boy asked quietly after putting the flower down.
He placed his hand over his son's head. "Aa."
A lone figure dressed in a long black trench coat watched from a distance. The hood of his coat concealed his identity from unwanted eyes, especially from those surveying the perimeter below if detected. As he watches the couple retreat back to their vehicle, rage began to flow through his body. His initial plans were ruined and his informant discovered. The simple task he had ordered that night had been botched and hindered his plans. His source of information was seized and he was forced to wait again until the opportunity he was looking for came to him. Every track he had ever left was completely covered, keeping his identity a complete secret.
"I will get you Sasuke," the man said. "And your wife too."
"Teme —" BANG! "— third round —" BANG! "— ten minutes."
Sasuke continued to unload his gun upon the target sheet hanging ten yards away, ignoring the blond beside him. His eyes were completely focused behind the safety goggles as shot after shot was fired into the bull's–eyes area, making the hole in the center bigger and bigger. After the small memorial, he dropped Sakura off at the apartment then decided to unload his emotions upon the gun range. He preferred to spar, but knew no one would be willing to step up to fight him in his current state of mind. Even though he had earmuffs on to reduce the noise coming from his rifle, he could still hear the annoying voice of his best friend. Once the loaded magazine was empty, he popped it out ready to reload only to find Naruto had the two cartridges.
"Hand it over dobe," Sasuke said.
"No," the blond protested, then pointed an accusing finger at the man before him. "You're supposed to be spending time with Sakura-chan, not wasting bullets on target practice."
Sasuke placed the empty handgun down and pulled off the earmuffs. "Hn."
"Take that stick out of your ass and be human for once," Naruto huffed.
He pulled off the safety goggles and glared at the blond in front of him. Though Naruto was right about spending time with Sakura, he wasn't going to admit it. Suddenly a brunette haired woman with her hair tied up into two buns entered the room. She was dressed for a workout; brown capri pants with a white windbreaker and a pair of black sneakers. Her jacket was unzipped, revealing a pale pink and white sports bra and her toned body.
"We got a name," she said.
—xXx—
Sasuke rushed into the electronic filled room, wanting answers to who was after his family. Following behind him was Naruto and the brunette haired woman. Itachi and Neji stood before the large monitor, watching the system searching for what they've been looking for. A young woman with long lavender hair and pearl white eyes was seated to the pair's left, cross-checking through the information as she typed away on the keyboard. Shikamaru sat in front of a station watching the videos of the interrogation to see if any unusual behaviors were missed.
"How's the search coming along Hinata–chan?" the brunette haired woman asked as she took a seat beside the researcher.
"Nothing so far," Hinata replied. "I'm crossing checking every database record thoroughly to hopefully find something Tenten–san."
"So what's the name Mizuki mentioned?" Naruto asked plopping himself next to Hinata.
He brought his face next to Hinata's and started at the screen in front of her. Immediately the young woman began to redden, completely nervous of the male presence beside her. Tenten noticed the woman's uneasiness from the closeness and rolled her eyes. Hinata had a crush on the blond loud mouth and even though they were dating, she couldn't control her nervousness around him. The knucklehead was mostly dense to her tense behavior, never quite figuring it out that it was him that caused the lavender haired woman's nervousness. Getting up from her seat, Tenten pushed the chair Naruto was on away from the working woman.
"Give her some space idiot," Tenten said. "She's working."
Naruto crossed his arms against his chest and huffed. "Don't be mean Tenten," he said. "I'm just curious."
"The name we're looking for is Yakushi," Itachi said.
The name sounded familiar to Sasuke, yet he couldn't piece together when he had heard it before. He hunted through his mind to find something, but nothing clicked. Unwilling to mention his possible familiarity with the name, the young Uchiha brother stayed quiet.
"That's it?" Naruto bawled out. "That doesn't give us much to go on."
"Unfortunately it's all we've got," Shikamaru said as he turned around to face the others. "And so far we're turning up empty."
"The name could be an alias," Neji suggested.
"We got a hit," Tenten said.
Hinata pushed a few keys and the information on her screen appeared on the large monitor for everyone to see. It was an article about a freak car accident involving a fuel tanker that resulted in many deaths. The name they were searching for was highlighted in the list of named deceased. The entire family died trapped in their vehicle when the tanker exploded. The search analyst continued to pursuit more information, but there weren't any known family members alive.
"We're back to square one," Itachi spoke.
Knowing there had to be more to the name, Sasuke stormed out and headed toward the integration room to get the information himself. After three days of interrogation, he wouldn't accept hitting a dead end. He knew he was going against protocol again, but the faster they got the material the better. His only choice was to rummage through Mizuki's mind to find the answer to who was Yakushi. Upon entering the recording room adjacent to the secluded room, Ibiki was standing in front of the one–way window looking in at the man sitting quietly. Ignoring the questionable stare of the intimidating man, Sasuke entered the room and locked the door.
"What bring you here Sasuke?" the white-haired man asked.
Sasuke didn't say a word and stared at the man in front of him. His victim was going to become unrecognizable mentally when it was all over.
"Here to torture me?"
"Who is Yakushi?"
Mizuki crossed his arms over his chest. "You got a name," he said. "So find the answer yourself."
A smirk made its way across a sinister face, Mizuki was going to regret saying that. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second knowing he had no other choice but to pry out what he needed, even if it met possibly going blind. Slowly those piercing dark orbs turned crimson and began to spin the commas slowly.
"Your family's demon eyes don't scare me Sasuke," Mizuki said nonchalantly.
The three comma-shaped dots began to change and merge with the pupil, creating the shape of a three-winged pinwheel. Upon realizing the crimson eyes weren't the usual ones everyone was so used to seeing, it was already too late for Mizuki. He couldn't move nor speak and no one on the other side knew of what was being done to him.
—xXx—
When Naruto mentioned the absence of a certain Uchiha, Itachi immediately figures out what his brother was up to. He rushed out and headed toward the interrogation room, hoping he wasn't too late to stop Sasuke. Ibiki stood in front of the glass watching, completely unaware of what had been done.
"How long has Sasuke been in there?" Itachi asked as he attempted to open the door.
"Talked for a minute," Ibiki answered. "It's been quiet for the past two, minus Mizuki's barely audible mumbles."
"What?" Naruto and Neji entered the room, confused by Itachi's distressed. "He's going to kill Mizuki."
"But teme doesn't have any sort of weapon on him," Naruto said.
Onyx orbs had turned crimson. "You don't need weapons to kill someone mentally!" Itachi turned to the two younger agents. "He's using a dangerous hypnosis technique. We need to stop Sasuke before it's too late."
Trusting the older Uchiha's words, both of the younger agents began to ram the door. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy due to the entrance being reinforced to prevent interruptions. After several attempts, the door finally gave way, but they were too late. Mizuki sat in his seat like a still doll, his mind in a coma. Neji immediately went to the prisoner's side to check his vitals. Naruto went over to knock some sense into Sasuke but stopped when he saw the face of his partner.
The blond yearned for everything to be a dream when he saw the murderous yet sinister red orbs spinning. The first time he saw those exact eyes it was more than five years ago and he remembered the carnage that followed it. The only thing different this time was the trail of blood coming from his left eye socket. Sasuke left the room without a word, accompanied by the answer he needed.
—xXx—
Sakura sat upon the large king-sized bed folding the pile of clothes she had taken out from a box. Aware the facility would become her new home she chose to make better use of her time by unpacking but to also keep her mind occupied. The days following the incident she had changed both mentally and physically. No one had seen a single bright smile upon her face since her arrival. She didn't have much of an appetite and ate very little, forcing her body to burn whatever fat and muscle she possessed for energy. Her family gave her all the space she needed to heal. Mikoto checked in every once in a while, bringing her water and fresh apple slices to snack on. Her nephew had attempted to get her to play with him a few times, but she couldn't due to the constant thought of her beloved child and weakened body. Today they had gone over to visit Kushina to give her some alone time. Tsunade had her on mandatory leave until she was suited to return to work at the clinic and hospital.
She dearly wished for her husband to be at her side, but she knew he had matters to attend. When he was around in the evening, the atmosphere was awkward for the two of them. He had yet to explain anything and she hadn't questioned him. They had rarely spoken any works to each other, but his small gestures spoke enough. Nonetheless, when they slept, Sasuke would hold her close as if afraid she would fade away. His hold on her, even while they slept was tight, that even the slightest movement from her would cause him to tighten his grip around her body.
She was awakened from her daze at the sudden sound of the door slamming shut. Looking up, she saw Sasuke had entered their bedroom. Both of his hands were placed on the door had his hunched forward with his head lowered, his hair covering his face. She sensed an unusual aura coming from him, but couldn't pinpoint what it was. It felt sinister, but she wasn't sure. Wanting to know what was wrong with him, Sakura got up from her seat and approached the man.
"Sasuke–kun," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
Sasuke turned around faster than she could comprehend with his red eyes spinning wildly and his fist merely an inch away from her face. She stood frozen in place, scared out of her mind by his reaction. Registering the pink hair and emerald eyes, he withdrew his fist and allowed his eyes to change back to onyx. Without a word, he walked passed her into the bathroom. He turned on the sink faucet and splashed the cool water upon his face, doing his best to calm himself. Sakura followed and stood at the doorway, unsure whether it was safe to approach him.
"Is everything alright?" she questioned quietly, frightened by what had happened just seconds ago.
The sinister aura she had felt around him was faint, but there. He didn't answer her question and turned off the faucet to stare at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't bother to whip the water on his face, letting his drip from his chin. He had to make the most difficult choice in his life and he was aware of the relationship he shared with Sakura could be ruined because of it. Even with her being as understanding as she was, there was a limit to how much she would be willing to take. He knew he would only be adding to her emotional distress.
Walking out of the bathroom and passed his wife, Sasuke traveled to the large walk-in closet to get his gear together. Confused by his behavior, Sakura followed him. Her emerald orbs watched as he stripped down to his boxers and enter a code into a hidden keypad. The various cupboards and shelves on the left side of the closet went up as thousands of light-emitting diodes came on. A shelf filled with various firearms and blades came forward, shocking the pink-haired woman even more. Sakura tried to speak, but not a sound would come out. She wanted to walk up to him and grab his hands to stop him, but her body wouldn't move. Her loving husband whom she had known for so long was becoming something unrecognizable, dark, and dangerous.
Sasuke began to dress in a pair of black military cargo pants with a belt securing it around his waist. He slipped on matching combat boots and grabbed two silver handguns. He placed the two smaller caliber weapons on the black of his belt then placed two sets of three kunai blades on his side. Taking the single kunai pocket, he strapped it around his right thigh. He grabbed the familiar-looking sword and tucked it behind him along with a small pouch. Sasuke pulled on a black sleeveless shirt that clung to his body like a second skin, emphasizing his lean built and bare muscular arms. He grabbed two black arm sleeves and pulled them on, covering his skin from mid-upper arm to his wrist. Taking the two black metal arm guards from the rack, he strapped them on his forearms. He took out a black duffle bag and began to place in various firearms, ammunition magazines, and ammo. When he was done, he pushed a button on the keypad and the shelves of clothes came back down. He pulled a hooded jacket off a hanger and then walked passed his wife once again.
He tossed his things onto the bed then went into his desk drawer to grab one last item. He pulled out his silver chain and took his wedding ring off his finger. After placing the chain through the silver band, he hooked it around his neck and tucked it beneath his shirt. Whether it was around his finger or hanging around his necklace, the ring would always be with him one way or another.
Sasuke turned around to see Sakura standing in front of him, completely confused. Sakura lifted a hesitate hand toward his face but drew back before she could make contact. He grabbed her wrist instantly, startling her, then drew her hand to his lips. Keeping direct eye contact with her, he grazed his lips against his smooth knuckles. She was the most powerful woman he had ever known and possibly the most frightening next to his mother. She was capable of breaking down his strong defenses with ease and become a drug he could never give up. The sound of her voice, the gentleness of her touches, and her image was all infused into his mind and body. He would never be able to forget her for his heart and soul belonged only to her.
Her tense muscles began to relax in his touch and before she knew it, he had pulled her onto him and crushed his lips onto hers. She instantly melted into the kiss, halting all the inquiries she desperately wanted to ask. He ravaged her senseless as her arms came around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. They broke apart for barely a second before he pulled her back for another passionate kiss. As intense as their lip lock was, she could feel the desperation behind it. She continued to kiss him until she couldn't breathe and then broke apart.
"What –"
Sasuke grabbed the back of her head and crushed his lips against hers again, cutting her off. He didn't want to explain himself, knowing that it would only make it difficult for him to leave. His arms were wrapped around her frame in such a way that she couldn't fight him. Determined to figure things out, she broke the kiss.
"What's going on Sasuke–kun?" she asked, cupping his face.
He was battling himself on whether or not to let her know his intentions. There were many things he needed to tell her and yet here he was ready to leave. She deserved to know what he was planning to do but knew it would crush her. Her emotional state was already fragile and he was going to just make it worse. He had taken her trust since the day they met but gave her barely many of his, never wanting his secrets to burden her.
"I have to go," he finally answered. He stared deep into her eyes. "And I may not be coming back."
Her eyes widen as the words reached her ears. The tone of his voice, especially at the end, sounded like he believed it to come true.
"No… You can't go… I need you here."
All her fears and concerns were evident in her eyes and there was no turning back. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers before pulling her up into another fierce kiss. Becoming more confused by the second, she began to panic. It was like he was saying goodbye to her. Their lips separated and he stared at her, slowly releasing his hold around her body.
"Take care of yourself..."
Catching onto what he was saying, her eyes stared in disbelief. "No, I won't let you go." Her eyes pleaded with him. "Tell me why you can't stay."
He stroked her cheek. "Know that you are my life and that I would do anything to protect you."
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura searched his eyes, but she couldn't read him.
"There's so much you don't know," he said. "And I want to keep it that way Sakura." He held her closer once again. "My life has always been in disarray, but the only good that came out of it was you. You've changed everything."
"You've changed my life too," she said. "You're the man I fell in love with and married. My love for you will never change." She rested her hands upon his shoulder. "I don't care what it is, you can tell me anything. You can trust me Sasuke–kun."
He shook his head. "I've already put you in more danger than you could ever understand," he responded. "And you don't deserve any of it. If you only knew what I really am –"
"Then who are you?" She pulled away from him and hugged her body, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Just stop torturing me and tell me!"
"I can't."
"If you're not the Uchiha Sasuke I fell in love with, then who are you?" She held back all her tears and looked at him. "Stop giving me excuses and help me understand what's happening!"
"You can't comprehend what I got you involved in," he said. "I won't let you get caught in the crossfires any more than you already are." She looked at him and saw the deadly look in his eyes. It was murderous. "No one lays a finger on you and gets away with it."
"What are you planning to do?" Tears were beginning to gather in her eyes.
"I won't rest until I take care of things," he said. "To protect you, I'm willing to lose myself."
"Please, don't," she sobbed. "Don't leave me."
"I have to," he said. "I have no choice."
"Yes you do," she shouted. "You always have a choice. You don't have to do any of this alone." She took a small step back and placed her hands over her heart. "You're not alone! You have everyone here! You have me!" Her tears began to fall, staining her cheeks. "You'll always have me, no matter what!"
"I wasn't supposed to have you!" he said harshly. He had grabbed her arms and held her tight. "But I couldn't stay away!" His onyx orbs had turned crimson. "I'm selfish and wanted you more than anything! Now that I have you, I need to shield you from this hideous world and my demon!"
"It's not selfish when it's my own decision to go with you Sasuke–kun!" She freed herself from his grasp. "I'll help you put an end to whatever it is! Just take me with you!"
"No!" Crimson clashed with emerald. "Nothing will change my mind Sakura!"
"I love you Sasuke–kun!" she screamed at him. "I've already lost our child! I can't lose you too!"
He couldn't find the words to express himself and instead pulled her into his arms for a kiss. All his emotions were poured into his kiss, making her feel all of his determination, his love for her, and his struggle to let her go. Sasuke continued to ravage her, imprinting everything about her into his mind. He would give anything to spend more time with her, to show her how much she meant to him, but he didn't have the leisure. He needed to leave soon before it became increasingly difficult to step away from her.
Sasuke broke the kiss and stepped back from her. His eyes had changed back to onyx as he stared at her. She saw it in his eyes; he was serious about leaving. He turned away and grabbed his discarded jacket and bag. He couldn't bring himself to formally say goodbye to her and left the room without looking back. Sakura stood rooted in her spot, trying to think of something to stop him from walking out of her life completely. If she didn't have the power to stop him, then someone else would have to. There were plenty of people capable of preventing him from leaving. She ran out of the room and into the living room right as Sasuke was opening the front door.
"I'll scream Sasuke!" she yelled. "I –"
In a blink of an eye he had disappeared from her sight and she felt a slight breeze flail her long tress. She knew he was standing right behind her, but she couldn't turn around.
"Thank you, Sakura."
She was about to turn around to face him when the sudden pressure on the back of her neck immobilized her. Her eyes closed and her body went limp; a single tear rolled down her cheek. He caught her body in his arms and looked at her face. Lifting her bridal style, he carried her over to the sofa. He placed her down and positioned her comfortably. Sasuke stared at her with saddened eyes and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Defeated by his desires, he placed his lips over hers to steal one last final kiss.
—xXx—
He headed towards the motorcycles with his jacket on, the duffle bag sung over his shoulders, and a black helmet in his left hand. Reaching his bike, Sasuke lifted the seat and pulled out the small blinking device; he didn't need headquarters to be on his ass when he was gone. Taking his phone out of his jacket's inside pocket, he turned it off and stored it away. After starting up the engine, he mounted the black and red vehicle and placed his helmet on. He took one last look at the doors he had walked through before putting down the tinted visor. Once ready, he sped out of the base and into the night.
Please review!
This chapter ends with the classic scene all are familiar with. Sasuke is certainly a jerk for leaving Sakura in her current state, but they will be reunited in a later chapter.
As some of you may have figured it out, Kabuto is the antagonist to this plot, but I won't confirm or deny it.