Chapter Two:
So We Meet Again
"I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing."
She jumped from branch to branch through the tree's at full speed. Her pink hair whisked around her face. It was slightly longer now, reaching about her shoulders. It was still just as beautiful, same as her complexion. Not much about her physically had changed. She wasn't much taller, and she was still just as slender. But she was faster, stronger...and more stubborn. And she was now a full fledge ANBU shinobi, on one of her many missions. She was wearing her normal ANBU attire with a white panther mask on. The rim of the mask was outlined in a dark pink and there was a stripe of the same color across the nose of the mask. She was on a special mission to travel to Kirirunu, a small tourist town near the edge of the fire country, and gather information on the Akatsuki. Rumor was that one of them had been spotted in that area. Konoha needed to be first on the scene. And who better than Sakura Haruno?
She was fully prepared for the mission. She knew she had duties to fulfill. Right now, Konoha was in a bit of a bind. Tsunade was up to her head in work, and most of her fellow ANBU teammates were on missions of their own. Akatsuki was a dangerous problem that needed to be taken care of right away.
She ran over the many questions she wanted to ask, trying to stay focused, but all of a sudden she felt the presence of chalkra in front of her. It was maybe a mile off, she wasn't sure. But as she approached, she felt maybe three...no, four people up ahead. And one of those felt strangely familiar. But she wasn't quite sure...just couldn't put her finger on it.
She picked up the pace, jumping from branch to branch. She removed the mask from her face and took a deep breath. The crisp air filled her lungs, making her feel more alive and ready to fight if there should be a confrontation. She slowly rested the mask underneath an elastic strap over her waist. She wanted a clear view of whatever was ahead of her. Or whoever, really.
She felt the presence getting closer, but she could see nothing. It was the break of dawn, and the sun was right in her eyes, making her squint. She ran her eyes over the area in front of her and jumped up higher in the tree's to get an Arial view. She scanned the area once more and took a few more leaps until she came across some figures in dark black cloaks standing on the ground. Their backs were turned to her, and their hoods were up. They looked like they were just about to head off, but Sakura figured she could take advantage of this opportunity. Maybe see if they knew anything about the Akatsuki. And anyway, there was something familiar about somebody's chalkra down there. Not to mention...with their hoods up like that, they looked quite suspicious.
"Hey."
Her voice echoed through the tree's and halted her strangers' movements. She jumped down off a tree and stood in front of it, directly behind the four cloaked people. She was only maybe an inch in front of the tree, trying to keep her distance. Her eyes slowly widened as two of the strangers turned around. The hoods covered most of their faces, but she could still make out who they were. And yes, they were familiar.
"We're busy. Get lost." A boy with razor sharp teeth replied. His eyes widened as they connected with Sakura's.
She knew this guy. Even though she hated to admit it...she knew him. And apparently, by his expression...he recognized her too. And as Sakura's eyes moved to the other cloaked figure, she matched up the features immediately.
It was the girl and boy she had met back in Konoha the night before Sasuke had left.
Karin and Suigetsu.
"It's you. I know you!" Suigetsu said a little more lively. Karin just scoffed. They were standing on the opposite side of another figure that was still faced off in the opposite direction. Another person standing on the other side of Suigetsu turned around. He was extremely tall, and had short, somewhat spiky orange hair. Thinking back on all the conversations she had had with Sasuke many months ago...she matched up this other boy as well.
Juugo, I presume?
And that left one unfamiliar figure left to identify. But she was no fool. And she knew who it was. Her eyes slowly focused on the black cloak draped over his back. He was still the same height, which was really tall...and his shoulders still looked broad. But besides that, she could see nothing. Her eyes widened a little more, and she felt her mouth going dry.
After almost a year...this is how we meet up again? I would have never dreamed it be like this.
And she wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him anymore.
"Karin, you remember this girl, right?" Suigetsu asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Karin just rolled her eyes and then moved her gaze to the cloaked figure on her left.
"Hey...it's that girl. The one you told me sooo much about." Suigestu spoke lively to the figure on his right. The one with his back turned. The one that showed no sign that he had even heard his teammates words.
"He never said that much about her. Stop being stupid, Suigetsu!" Karin snapped, irritated by the young boy's remark.
Sakura ignored their words, trying to focus on her own. She had no idea what to say.
All of a sudden, the figure slowly started turning around. Her eyes widened and she started feeling anxious. All of a sudden everything felt so slow motion.
"Sasu-"
But before she could even say anything else, she caught a faint glimpse of red eyes underneath the hood. That was it. And before she could even register that, she all of a sudden seen him disappear and felt herself being thrusted against the tree behind her. The bark scratched at her back and she closed her eyes tightly against the pain. She felt a quick splitting pain through her stomach and then all of a sudden felt numb. Her body felt cold against the warm sensation on her lower back and stomach. It was a sticky warm substance.
Clearly, her blood.
Her head was tilted down, and as the numbness started fading, she could feel small waves of pain course through her body. She slowly opened her eyes, trying to focus her sight. When she did, she seen a pale hand on what looked to be a handle to a sword. And sure enough, she felt the cold metal inside her body, sticking into the trunk. She was pinned, no doubt about that. She slowly followed the shiny silver up until it connected with her body. A little trail of blood started flowing down the sword. Her breathing became staggered, realizing what was actually happening. And she just couldn't believe it. Her heart started racing and she followed the sword once again...to the hands on the handle...to the arms...and finally...she seen the figure leaning into her a bit...actually, leaning on the sword. His head was down, hood covering his face. But with a small sudden gust of wind, the hood gracefully lifted off his head, revealing his dark, long, shaggy hair. It was unkempt, and she could see his bangs hanging down, but still unable to see his face.
This wasn't Sasuke. Not the Sasuke she knew. It couldn't be. She clenched her jaw tightly and felt panic rising.
Realizing that this was really a dangerous situation, she slowly started healing her body. She was losing blood rapidly, and was most likely on the verge of unconsciousness. Besides, she was already feeling dizzy...and along with the strong vibes of pain, her body was starting to feel weak...almost numb. Disconnected.
This couldn't be happening.
Her eyes watched as the figure slowly started lifting his head. She completely stopped breathing as his face became visible.
His red eyes were menacing, making the panic rise even more. The sharingan. He was definitely scary...and not somebody you wanted to mess with.
Breathe, Sakura. Breathe! You need to focus! Stay focused!
She closed her eyes, taking small breathes through her nose. She continued to heal her body, but it was slow. And the damage was great.
In this condition...she was easily at his disposal.
She opened her eyes slowly, staring right into his chilling ones. She noticed a small twitch in his eyes and he clenched his jaw. With that, she heard him take a deep breath...and without warning, pulled the sword violently from her abdomen, making her grunt quietly in pain. He took a step back quickly, his eyes now focusing on her bleeding stomach. She couldn't catch her balance, and with the force from the pull, felt herself slowly falling forward.
Great...I'm going to land flat on my face in front of him.
But then...without warning again...she felt herself hit the tree, this time her head suffered the whiplash. In an instant, Karin had appeared in front of her, kicking her into the tree. Her leg was now mounted up against her chest, holding her to the tree. The hit caused Sakura to lose her focus, and the wound was now bleeding hard once again.
Sakura's head was rested back against the tree until it fell down limply. She opened her eyes, finding it hard to breathe. Just great...this was no way to die.
"Sasuke...what are we going to do about her?" Karin asked shrilly. Sakura raised her head a bit to look at Karin. One hand was rested on her hip, while the other was lying limply at her side...and a sick grin was plastered on her face. Wow...she obviously wanted Sakura dead.
"Well move your foot, you bitch." Suigetsu shouted, annoyed.
They apparently didn't get along.
Sakura also noticed that, behind Karin, Sasuke had closed his eyes and had one hand rested on the side of his head...his fingers intertwined with strands of his hair. His expression was almost emotionless, but she could see a hint of...annoyance? No...maybe pain...in his expression. She couldn't tell. And right now...her vision sucked already. She couldn't focus at all. But she still tried to heal the wound, this time...not caring to conceal the chalkra she was pouring into her stomach.
"That's pointless." She heard a rough, low...familiar voice say.
It was Sasuke. He hadn't opened his eyes...and his lips had barely moved. But he had noticed that Sakura was attempting to save herself.
He slowly turned around...leaving Sakura to stare helplessly at his back. She wanted so much to call out to him. Ask him what the hell was going on. But she couldn't. She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was just about to let her die.
"Well?" She heard the Juugo stranger say.
After a moment of silence, she heard Sasuke sigh.
"Take care of her." He said in his monotone voice.
Before Sakura could even think, she felt Karin remove her foot from her chest, and seen her hand shoot up to the collar of her uniform. She violently pulled Sakura forward, and she felt Karin's hand connect with the side of her neck. More pain shot through her body, and her eyesight was fading to black...and quickly.
She fell unconscious before she could even tell if she hit the ground.
Sasuke...Why?...No...you're not Sasuke. I don't believe it. You're not the same person...No...
Warm. She could feel something warm above her head. And soft...something soft was draped over her body.
What the...was she dead?
No...
She felt her chest moving up and down slowly, and all of a sudden drifted into reality. She opened her eyes halfway, seeing a flickering shadow on the surface above her.
Rocks.
She was in a cave of some sort.
She slowly blinked a few times, and as she tried to move her body even the slightest, she felt this weird feeling on her body. Not pain...no. It didn't really hurt. But her wound...it was closed. But how?
"Don't be surprised. Karin picked up some medical ninjutsu. It's not the best...but it saved you."
She slowly looked to her right, to see Suigetsu leaning back against the wall. He was sitting with his legs spread open, arms resting on his knee's. He looked at Sakura with a small smile on his face. She only blinked, comprehending that right now...she was in a cave with him.
But then she heard a small 'hmph' from the other side of her.
Karin.
Sakura took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at the young boy.
"Why aren't I dead? What am I doing here?"
"We saved you."
Her eyes widened a little and Suigetsu chuckled a bit. She heard a soft crackle from the fire above her head. Apparently, that was the warmth around her. And then as she wiggled around once more...she realized she wasn't in her tight ANBU uniform. She felt her face flush a little bit. She could feel she was in a tank top and some loose baggy pants. But how did she get in these clothes?
Obviously noticing her confusing...Suigetsu answered her question.
"Karin."
Sakura sighed in relief and tilted her head a bit to see a pouty Karin sitting in the exact same position as Suigetsu. Except she wasn't looking at Sakura...just scowling off into the distance, her face facing the opposite direction. Sakura heard a faint...'he made me'...slip out her of mouth.
"So why did you save me?" Sakura asked boldly, now looking up at the ceiling of the cave.
"Orders." Suigetsu replied simply, noticing Sakura's brow furrow.
"From who?" She asked again.
Suigetsu chuckled a bit. "You know from who."
Yes, she did. Sasuke. But she'd never say it. Not anymore.
"He wants to talk to you." He replied again, causing Sakura to look his way. They simply stared at each other for a while. "Don't ask me why." He said simply, before she could do just that.
"Obviously something important, or he'd have never spared your life." Karin snapped, entering the conversation. Sakura thought that over for a second and slowly started sitting up. She could feel a bit of pain now with a broader range of movement.
"Now be careful." Suigetsu said, removing his arms from his knees, ready to help her if she should need it. But she apparently didn't want that.
Sakura shot him a dirty look. "Why does it matter?" She asked harshly.
Suigetsu looked a little taken back, a frown forming from his lips. "You're no good to him dead." He said, sounding a little unsure about his own answer.
Sakura rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm no good to him either way. And I'm far from dead."
"Not really."
Sakura looked over at Karin...glaring at her, actually. Her remark upset her, clearly. "What do you mean?" She asked, just as sharply as Karin.
Karin turned to face her...a scowl imprinted on her face. "He was going to kill you. He could have. So don't talk so big. You're nothing compared to him."
Sakura felt her chest burn a bit at that remark. She knew that...but she didn't need somebody else reminding her.
"You're nothing to him." Karin said, looking away quickly as Sakura's face twisted into a nasty glare.
Suigetsu chuckled. "Ignore her. She only says that because she's jealous."
Karin gave a little 'hmph' once again. And Sakura stood up completely, wobbling a bit. She shook her head.
"No, it's true." She said, brushing off her clothing. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Now, where are my clothes?"
"You won't need them." Another male voice said, entering the conversation as well.
She looked over to the cave entrance to see that tall Juugo guy standing there. His face was almost as expressionless as Sasuke's. But still...it wasn't as evil looking.
Sakura eyed him curiously.
"Juugo...big fella...where's the boss man?" Suigetsu asked, standing up. He walked over to Sakura and placed his hand on her shoulder. Sakura, annoyed, tried to shrug him off...but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He just shot her a big, mischievous grin.
"Outside. Waiting for the girl." Juugo said, nodding his head out the entrance. He slowly turned around and started walking out of the cave. Sakura heard Karin stand up behind her and sigh heavily. She walked right past Sakura and out the entrance the same way Juugo left. Now it was just her and Suigetsu...alone in the cave. It sounded creepy.
"Look..." He was the first to break the silence. He leaned his head closer to hers and started whispering, his hand never leaving her shoulder. "Just watch what you say. He's irritable...and pretty quick to snap. Just do as he says. He won't kill you...I don't think."
You don't think...oh that's great. Way to be sure! Sakura scoffed at his remark.
"You expect me to just obey him like a dog?" She asked harshly, glaring at Suigetsu from the corner of her eye.
"If you want to live...yeah. Once you're out there alone with him...there's nothing I can do."
Her eyes widened...expression softening...
"Wait, you're the one who saved me?"
He nodded, his grin widening. "Yeah...that's me. You're pretty okay...so I told him to let you live. Now how great am I?"
Sakura blinked a couple times and shrugged his hand off her shoulder, succeeding this time. "You're pretty okay too...but not great." She brushed off her clothes one more time and started walking to the exit. "Thanks but...I'm not about to bow down to any one. That's just not me." She said, raising a hand to wave.
Suigetsu sighed. "Well...I wish you luck then, Sakura."
She smiled, reaching the exit. "Thanks again."
She took a few steps, examining the area, until she seen Sasuke leaning against a tree. He was still in that long black cloak, and his head was tilted down, eyes closed. She only stared at him for a second, wondering what to say. But slowly he opened his eyes and looked at her. Much to Sakura's relief, his eyes were black...not red, swirling with the sharingan.
"Follow me." He said, pushing off the tree and walking in the opposite direction.
As much as she didn't want to obey him like some animal...she just figured it best to follow. She had a lot of questions to ask him, and she was sure he had some himself.
They continued to walk in silence for about 10 minutes, until they came to a small clearing. Sasuke was about 15 feet in front of her when he stopped abruptly. Immediately, Sakura halted her own movements right in front of a tree, trying to keep her distance from the man ahead of her. He just stood with his back to her, making her very uncomfortable.
"What do you want?" She finally asked, in a stern voice. She didn't know where the burst of courage had come from, but she was going to make the best of it.
"What do you want?" He asked back.
She only blinked, thinking about their encounter when he tried to kill her. "I didn't come to find you." She said, knowing that was obviously what he was wondering.
Silence.
"I know that." He replied smartly.
Sakura felt her face twist into a small glare. The wind rustled through his long locks, and the tree's slowly swayed in the breeze. The setting just felt a Little...unsafe.
More silence.
"I know you weren't just in the area. You were in an ANBU uniform...and you looked like you were in a hurry." He said again, his voice low and hoarse. Sakura's eyes narrowed.
"You're wondering what my mission was..." She simplified his sentence.
Even more silence.
"Well I can't give out that information." She spat angrily. Wow, this guy had some nerve. He see's her after almost a year...and all he cares about is her mission?! What happened to him over the time he had been gone?
He slowly turned around and glared at her, eyes piercing hers. It made her even more uncomfortable and she felt her hands start shaking. His face was serious...and scary. She hadn't seen him look like this in a really long time. Well actually...she hadn't flat out seen him in a long time.
"Tell me." He demanded calmly. Sakura swallowed hard.
"No."
His eyes narrowed a bit more. "You're in no position to deny me."
"I am not you're pet!" She shouted fiercely. Her eyes widened as she noticed Sasuke's sharingan flare up. Her heart started racing and she realized...she should have just done what he said.
Stupid, Sakura! Stupid...stupid.
"I won't spare your life."
She bit her lip. Yeah she already figured that one.
"Then kill me." She said quietly, her face forming a frown. She couldn't stop him even if she wanted to...and it was looking by this situation...that she would die in the end anyway. Thus, the life of a shinobi.
Silence. They just stood, staring at each other for a moment. Sakura, though, was smart enough not to make contact with his eyes...so she just stared at his chest, watching it move up and down slowly. Here Sasuke was...breathing right in front of her. All she wanted right now...all she wanted to know was...
"I'm not coming back."
She gasped quietly, now making eye contact. His glare was deep...angry. She felt tears prick at her eyes but held them back. She was no longer a baby...and she no longer cried over Sasuke.
"I figured." The words rolled right off her tongue. And it was true. She expected no less. "After all...if you were going to...you would have done it long ago. Or maybe you haven't done what you needed to do?" She said bravely, feeling the wind blow through her hair. Goosebumps formed on her frail skin.
Silence.
"I have."
Her mouth went dry. Did he really...kill Itachi? She slowly raised one hand and put it on her hip. "Really. So what drives you now? Why aren't you coming home?"
"It's not home." He snarled, making Sakura flinch.
"You say that now. But those weren't your words back then."
"I didn't mean them."
"Then why did you say them?"
And Sakura's eyes quickly shot to Sasuke feet, which were slowly moving toward her.
"You know me...always lying." He said...a sadistic smirk forming on his lips. It made Sakura's chest start burning. Any real emotion she seen out of his face...was always the kind that hurt her. Her eyes drifted up to his face as he kept stepping closer. Unconsciously, she took a step back, hitting the tree. Quickly, she scanned the area.
Shit...now where do I go?
She needed to get out of there. He had flat out told her that he'd kill her...so why the hell wasn't she moving!?
But as her eyes flew to his face once more, she seen a twitch out of his eye...and he stopped moving again. Her breathing calmed down as she watched him raise a hand to his head and lace his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and his lips drew into a tight line.
She was no idiot.
He was in pain obviously.
But by what?
"I noticed...you haven't said my name. What, you scared...Sa-ku-ra?" He said, his eyes still closed...but that malicious grin became imprinted on his face once more.
Without even realizing it, she was pushing her back into the tree, and she was breathing heavily. Loud. She was scared. Why deny it?
"I'll never say...your name..." She said boldly through deep breaths. And she noticed him clench his jaw and open his eyes. Small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead...and Sakura's eyes observed his every movement.
He was in a lot of pain.
All of a sudden, without warning...she seen a black figure appear behind him...and the arm of the stranger connected sharply with the side of Sasuke's neck. His eyes widened, and slowly closed as he exhaled a deep breathe. He slowly, and very ungracefully, fell onto his knee's and then fell completely to the ground, his hair sprawled in every which direction.
The figure was in a black cloak with the hood down.
Suigetsu.
Sakura quickly seized her trembling and caught her breathe. She tried to hide the shock that was overwhelming her face.
"What are...what are you doing?" She stuttered pathetically.
Suigetsu brought his hand to his side and grinned at her.
"Thought I'd help you out."
And what are you implying?
"I didn't need help, thanks." She growled angrily. Then she heard somebody's footsteps to her left and quickly glanced over. Karin was standing a few feet off, arms crossed, staring blankly at Sasuke lying on the cold ground.
"He was going to kill you." She heard another rough voice say. She glanced up into the tree's on her right and seen that Juugo character standing up there, arms crossed as well.
"I can handle myself." She murmured, looking back at Suigetsu. "You know that...and if you don't...then you need to. So tell me why you knocked him out. Give me the real reason." She said, her eyes narrowing.
Suigetsu shrugged and started chuckling. "Nothing gets past you, huh?"
But Sakura's face remained serious.
"We need a favor." She heard Karin say. Her tone was bored...reluctant. Sakura's eyes never left Suigetsu's, though, curious of this 'favor'.
"That would be?" Sakura asked, taking a step forward from the tree. She was no coward...so she sure as hell didn't want to look like one.
Suigestu sighed. "I knocked him out...to make it easier for you."
Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Easier...for...me?"
He nodded. "Take him back with you."
Her mouth fell open. What the?! "What do you mean...what's in it for you?" She snapped, angry that he thought she'd be so stupid as to just oblige his request.
"We know all about the conflict between your village and Akatsuki. That was your mission, wasn't it? Something to do with the Akatsuki running around this area." Karin said. After a minute of silence, Sakura nodded.
"So?" She asked.
"So...we just so happen to be looking for them as well." Suigetsu replied, bending down to pick up Sasuke. He hauled him over his shoulder and let out a small grunt.
"What does this have to do with me...or my village?" She said, taking another step toward him. Something about seeing Sasuke knocked unconscious made her feel a whole lot safer. "He made it clear he wants nothing to do with either."
Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "We also need your Hokage."
Sakura's mouth twisted into a frown.
"As you can tell...Sasuke's not exactly...healthy." Suigetsu said, glancing at the limp boy hanging over his body. Sakura bit her lip, trying to keep any expression from crowding her face. She didn't want to look like she cared...even though she did. "He has these...episodes where he gets weird pains in his head...like severe headaches, and we don't know why. It started happening after the fight with Itachi."
Now she didn't care how she looked. Her eyes shot open real wide. "So he did kill him?" She asked, her voice rising.
Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah...and the fight took a lot out of his eyes. Whenever he uses the sharingan now...it takes a toll on him. But even without those damn red eyes...he still has these weird spasms."
Sakura exhaled a deep breathe. Yes, she was worried.
"If it goes untreated...he usually ends up passing out." Karin chimed in, earning a curious stare from Sakura. "That's why I learned some medic ninjutsu. It helped a little...but he always gets so violent...and often refuses any help." She said again, a small frown gracing her features.
Sakura nodded and looked back at Suigetsu. "So you think Lady Tsunade can help him?" She asked, knowing that if anybody could...it was the Hokage.
Suigetsu nodded and started walking toward her. "I'm allowing you to take him, no strings attached. I doubt you'll be able to keep him for long...but I'm giving you a free shot."
Karin scoffed silently.
"But you must help him. Please." Juugo added from above.
Sakura just focused on Sasuke. He looked like such a child when he was sleeping. So harmless. She liked this Sasuke.
"If he won't stay, there's no point. You're using me." She said as Suigetsu adjusted Sasuke's weight on his shoulder.
"Yes...but this may be your only chance to get him back." Suigetsu said, a sympathetic look overcoming his grin. "For the first few days after he left the village...he was kind of...down. Quiet. It was obvious he missed that village and all the people in it. Maybe going back will help him with this odd illness." Suigetsu said, starting to walk past Sakura. Her eyes only followed.
"I doubt it." She said sadly, turning around. She watched Suigetsu walk off, Karin following and Juugo jumping down from the tree.
"We'll escort him to you're village gates. He's kind of heavy. But after that...he's all yours. We'll check in maybe...three days later to see how things are going." Suigetsu said as Juugo and Karin fell into step with him. Sakura started walking behind them slowly, a disgusted look on her face. This wasn't how she had planned this going.
"Whatever." She said silently.
"Oh and when he wakes up..." She heard Suigetsu snicker with his words. "Just tell him that it's our birthday present for him."
Her eyes widened.
Well, things just couldn't get any stranger.
And they just couldn't get any worse.
Next Chapter
How It's Gonna Be