The melodic sound of someone humming, wind brushing against his face, the comforting warmth of a blanket covering him - all these things seemed so surreal to the shinobi as he fought the blackness that continued to hold him hostage. Voices would occasionally reach his ears; mere clips of sentences that gave no real clarity to their meaning. A fog filled his mind, leaving him to question if he was wandering endlessly in a dreamscape. During this interminable period, he struggled to find purchase with reality once more.
It came from seemingly no where. The weight which held his eyes shut fast suddenly lifting, the fog clearing from his mind and releasing him from his dreams, the blinding light which pained him...
Petal pink was the first color his artistic eyes encountered.
Vibrant, distinctive, yet soft and complementing to the fair skin it adorned. It was a color he'd come to know well; one he'd tried endlessly to re-create on his palette, but so far had been unsuccessful.
Her face was averted from his own, eyes roaming down the page of a thick tome in her hand. Though he could not see the expression she wore, he took stock of her slumped posture, head hanging low, and lifeless fingers that turned pages. While he still had difficulty interacting with others on an emotional level, the shinobi could – at least - discern something was wrong with the medic.
The words he wished to say stuck in his dry, unused throat. The attempt to wet cracked lips with his tongue proved useless as it held no moisture either. The most he could attempt was a guttural noise originating somewhere in the depth of his chest. At that single sound, the pinkette's head whipped up and around; her emerald eyes wide with pleasant surprise.
"Sai!" she cried, tossing the thick book aside as if it were meaningless.
"Wa...," he tried, and failed, once more to speak.
"Hold on."
It was just a moment more before a steady hand was supporting his head and lifting him slightly, making it easier for him to enjoy the much needed water. A few, sputtering sips was all he could manage before she eased him back to the bed. Even that minute action winded the former ROOT member.
"Take it easy," her gentle voice whispered by his ear as she rearranged his pillows to support him. "You've been asleep for a while. It'll take some time before your strength comes back."
"How...," he broke off as a coughing fit wracked his still sore frame.
"You've been out for almost two weeks," she answered the unasked question. A gentle squeeze drew his dark eyes to where she'd taken hold of his hand. Further inspection of her revealed a glistening in her expressive green eyes and a trembling smile on her face.
"You..." he began slowly, annoyed by the scratchy quality his voice possessed. "You have been worried about me?" The lifting of his eyebrow and curious tone allowed no room to mistake the question behind the words.
Her eyes narrowed for but a moment, before she shook her head with a chuckle. "Baka, of course I've been worried about you." She refused to release his hand and, instead, wiped away the stray tears with her free fingers. "I didn't...you were really sick, Sai."
"I see." Truthfully, he would need to consult with his books at a later time on this development, but he believed he had a tentative grasp on the situation. If his guess was correct, he had furthered his relationship with the medic. Perhaps his friendship with her was not on the same level as the one she shared with Naruto, but it had most definitely strengthened. He was unsure how to proceed at this important juncture, so he would play it safe for the moment. "Thank you for your concern."
The smile that graced her face was genuine, as was the soft laugh that accompanied it. Her emerald eyes seemed...gentle as she gazed back at him. "How are you feeling?"
They spoke of his body's condition for a while, Sakura eventually telling him the truth about the parasite he'd been infected with. Sai, of course, took it all in stride, never looking particularly shocked with the gruesome events that surrounded him. He asked about the villagers they'd encountered and, while it pained the medic to admit, she didn't hold back the truth of how it was handled. Though it was for only a moment, Sakura was sure she'd detected some flash of emotion in his fathomless eyes. Whether it was anger or pity for their fate, she wasn't certain.
Sai had only just awoken, but true to his shinobi life, he asked about the latest developments on Kabuto. Sakura turned away, glancing out the window of his hospital room, but Sai had not missed the narrowing of her eyes and the tense line of her jaw. His weak grip strengthened for a moment, tugging at her smaller hand, encouraging her to speak.
"Something happened," she whispered into the silence of the room. Her shoulders rose and fell with the deep breath she drew. However, she turned to him with a smile and a surprisingly dry face. "But we're not going to talk about that now." His mouth opened, but another gentle squeeze of his hand stopped his sentence. "Please...please just rest another day before getting back into all of this, Sai."
"This event," he began, watching her face closely for her reaction. "How bad..." Sai stopped his questioning when he saw the flinch cross her face. Her fingers were now wrapped tightly around his own and her expression...a deep sadness was etched on her porcelain skin. He decided to wait until he saw another member of his squad. The thought of having her repeat the news was...unsettling, to the former ROOT member. "Where is Naruto?"
That simple phrase caused the worry lines etched in her face to smooth out. She smiled first, followed soon by a conspiratory giggle that lit up her emerald eyes. "Oh I imagine he's somewhere with Hinata-san." She laughed once more, scooting her chair closer and leaning in, speaking with hushed tones as if retelling a secret. He listened attentively to all she shared about their team mate, enjoying the happiness that she exuded far more than her previous weepy state.
She never spoke again about the incident that occurred while he slept. Sai only wondered whether she kept silent about it for his sake, or for her own.
Things had gone too far.
No matter how much she'd tried to ignore it or rationalize it, Karin knew she could no longer continue walking down this bloody path.
Over and over she'd told herself anything was worth her revenge. All that she once had, all she once was, had been stripped away from her - taken by an uncaring, selfish man she'd dared to love. When Kabuto first made contact with her, presenting her with an opportunity to have her revenge, Karin swore to herself that she would do whatever it took to achieve it.
Naive words spoken by a wounded woman.
Her movements were stealthy, silent as she flitted about her room in their latest base, gathering up the few possessions she dared call her own. She was leaving this place; leaving the deranged man she so foolheartedly agreed to work with so many months ago. She paused in her packing when she caught sight of her trembling hands. Karin clenched her fists tight, willing herself to be strong just a bit longer. She would need her wits about her in order to leave this prison.
When she felt the shaking stop, she continued to hurry through her room. Physically, she had herself under control; however, the images of the attack on Kirigakure still haunted her waking moments. The sight of that decimated village had been enough to push aside her last hesitations about staying with Kabuto. The comparison was simply too close for her to ignore.
Standing in the midst of that destruction had reminded her of home.
Not the life she'd once led under Orochimaru, but the burnt remains of the village she was born in. Hearing the children crying for their mothers, watching people's home being crushed before their very eyes, seeing an entire village reduced to nothing...Karin identified too closely to that pain.
The knowledge that she played a part in that - no matter how small - had tarnished what was left of her ravished soul.
The things she had done for her revenge, the lives she had helped to take, the pain she caused...the guilt was weighing too heavily on her mind now. The blood she stained her hands in was too great to ever wash away.
Tucked away behind a loose brick in the very corner of her room was a sealed scroll Karin removed with the greatest of care. Forlorn eyes gazed at what she once hoped to be her trump card - her very ticket to freedom should she ever need it. That moment was now, yet, it was unfinished. In its current form, it was nothing more than mere words on parchment. Still, it was something she would not abandon. Karin made sure to place it in the bottom of her pack, hidden away behind her small stock of weapons and personal items.
Her door made no sound as she pulled the thick wood back enough to peer into the hallway. Shadows danced along the rocky walls from the scattered torches, but she could neither see nor hear anyone moving about. A search with her chakra showed the few people with them to be in their rooms - the smooth, even patterns of their chakra letting her know they were asleep. While it was impossible to see the darkened sky of the night below ground as they were, she knew it to be well after midnight. The kunoichi had made sure to rest earlier in the evening in preparation to escape under the cover of darkness.
She rushed into the hall, making not a sound as she raced through the underground caverns. Her fingers trailed along the wall, helping to guide her through the maze of tunnels as the light was minimal in places at best. Karin paused at the next turn, catching her breath and searching with her chakra once more to be sure she hadn't been discovered. Kabuto's chakra remained as before, stationary in the direction of his room. A small sigh of relief left her lips. The entrance was just ahead and no one was in pursuit of her. Stretching her abilities even further, she could find no one in the woods around them. The red head was the only person awake for miles.
Running through a short set of hand symbols, Karin concealed her chakra completely. While she wouldn't be able to sense anyone approaching, she would rather take that risk than have Kabuto awaken soon to find her missing and catch her in pursuit. The knowledge that she was alone at the moment helped to quell the innate fear that always reared its head when she did this.
With a final nervous glance down the darkened hallways, Karin took off towards the entrance. Her breath came in quick pants as she felt herself running uphill to clear the caves. When the first breeze of the open air brushed against her face, she felt the familiar sensation of Kabuto's dark chakra washing over her. Karin fought the urge to cry out at the uncomfortable feeling and continued to run through the genjutsu he'd placed over the opening. With her eyes closed tight, she pushed through the last heavy barrier he'd placed and was met with the refreshing smell of the night wind.
Though she desperately wanted to stop and enjoy her first moment of freedom, the kunoichi realized the danger she was in. There was no hesitation in her steps as she dashed into the thickest part of the forest and took to the trees. Karin gave her thanks to whatever god took pity on her damned soul for the moonlight currently breaking through the canopy of leaves overhead. Without it, she would have never been able to judge the distance between branches as she rushed away from the hideout. Running along the thick bramble on the forest floor would be to dangerous and she was glad she did not have to go that route.
Karin wasn't sure how long she'd ran, only that her breath was short and sweat trailed down the column of her neck. The moon had fallen in the sky, but the horizon had yet to show any light of day. As the trees started to thin a bit, the red head saw a small clearing just to her right. The sound of water hit her ears and proved to be too big of a temptation to pass up.
As she dropped to the ground, her presence startled a young buck feeding from the small creek. Karin watched as it leapt over the water and took refuge once more in the safety of the forest. She fell to her knees at the creek's edge, plunging her hands into the icy water. She drank greedily, uncaring of the cold drops that trickled down her chin. When she'd quenched her thirst, she brought her cupped hands over her head, relishing in the cooling sensation the water brought to her heated skin. With thin fingers pushing her now wet hair from her face, Karin collapsed back onto the grass - a chuckle escaping her lips.
"I did it," she whispered into the silence of the forest. Sliding her glasses aside, she rubbed at the errant tears spilling over. "I did it."
She was free from him. Free from his reptilian gaze stalking her every movement, free from the terror his very chakra gave her, free from taking the lives of more innocents.
When her tears dried, Karin sat up on the forest floor, brushing the loose grass from her back. The night's breeze tousled her fiery hair while her thoughts settled in place.
She couldn't place the blame of her actions on Kabuto alone. Painful as it was, Karin knew she had to shoulder that responsibility. He never forced her to assist him with creating those pathogens, though her usefulness and therefore her life would have been over had she refused. She wanted to be able to place all the blame on that traitorous bastard, but that was also simply the easy out for her actions. Karin may have joined with Kabuto to enact her revenge on him, but her actions were still her own. She could no longer justify the pain and suffering she'd helped place on countless lives by saying it was for her own benefit. What purpose would all this needless death serve? Had it even served a purpose thus far?
She had known...oh she had just been so certain that with all the attacks on so many villages, Sasuke would seek Kabuto out. The moment he attacked the former med-nin, she would be able to get her revenge. Yet, as long as this game played on, he never once broke free of Konoha and set out against them. It simply didn't make sense. With all she knew of the avenger, how could she have possibly miscalculated his actions? So many more people had become involved than she ever anticipated.
Were their deaths worth the price of seeing Sasuke suffer?
She didn't know the answer to that question. Just as she didn't know the answer to what she would do now. She was a kunoichi without a village - and a wanted criminal at that. There would be no town she could seek refuge in. Once more, Karin would be alone.
She shook her head, dispelling those depressing thoughts. It was enough - for the moment - that she could simply get away from the hell she'd spent months in. Perhaps she could find a nice, quiet place near a smaller village far away from any shinobi life. There would be no luxuries, of course, but...it sounded somewhat appealing. To be able to simply live the remainder of her life in peace, to not have a...
"You seem comfortable."
Her reaction was instantaneous. Muscles clenched, her heartbeat sped up, her head swiveled towards the sound, and she broke the seal on her chakra. The moment she did, the thick, oppressing feel of his chakra slid over her body. He stood only a few yards away from her - leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. The hood on his cloak was up, but she could see the moonlight gleam off the rim of his glasses.
Karin couldn't speak. Any words she formed stuck in the back of her suddenly dry throat. As it was, it took all she had to simply scramble to her feet. Her trembling fingers reached into her pouch to pull a kunai out for defense. There was no need to pretend anymore; her departure from the base marked her intentions as clear as day.
"To be honest," he began, pushing off the tree and lazily strolling towards her. "You've lasted much longer than I originally anticipated." The only reply he received was her blank stare of confusion. "I expected you to run away somewhere around the time of the direct attack on Konoha."
Her eyes never left his slowly advancing figure, even as she stepped backwards, trying to put more distance between them. "H...how did...you...,"
"Hmmm," the smile that appeared on his face held no trace of warmth. "How did I know you were gone? Do you honestly think you've been able to do anything without my knowledge?" His throaty laugh had ripples of fear creeping down her spine. "Even after all you've seen, you dare to underestimate me?" He shook his head - a mockery at her plight. "It is a little cute of you though...how you thought you could escape me."
Her steps faltered as she felt the length of a tree root beneath her feet. She was as far away in the clearing as she could get; any further and she would be in the forest. While the cover of trees may help her escape, she would also be blind to any and everything Kabuto could do. Her intelligent mind raced, searching for any feasible way out of the situation...yet, she could find none.
The bare truth laid before her in all its ugly glory.
She was about to die.
Everything she'd done to survive, every misguided attempt to find her own happiness – regardless what cost others had to pay, none of it mattered anymore. She would meet her end here, in the middle of no where, at the hands of this psychotic bastard.
She always thought she'd be desperate when faced with this situation. As much as she'd scrambled in life to survive one more day, when faced with the inevitability of her demise Karin always had a feeling she would break down when the time came.
She was far from that point. Instead, her mind seemed to accept the inescapable situation with a calming clarity. She wasn't frantically searching the area around them, her mind wasn't muddled in fear at his presence...she simply stood there, facing him head on without a tear in sight.
A chuckle passed her lips, causing Kabuto to cock his head slightly in confusion. A mirthless smile tipped up the red-head's lips. It took this, the moment of her demise, to confuse the scaly bastard.
So much time wasted.
Her fingers gripped the handle of her kunai tighter.
There was so much else I could have done.
Karin saw a flash of his wicked grin before he leapt towards her.
Huh, kinda wish I could've fought with that bastard Suigetsu a little more.
She screamed her obscenities to the heavens as she wildly slashed the cold steel in his direction. If she was going down, she wouldn't hold back the ruthless tongue she'd always been known for.
And...no matter what he'd done...
The pain tore through her like wildfire. She bucked against his hand, thrashing madly, anything to get away from the heat licking up her torn muscles.
"Don't worry, Karin," Kabuto panted above her. Her strength may be lacking in comparison, but there was a reason Karin was placed in charge of Orochimaru's prison. "Being of the Uzumaki clan, you're life force is quite remarkable. I'd wager you have several hours until your body finally caves under the drug."
He ripped the syringe from her thigh, uncaring when the needle broke off in her pale skin. Karin crumpled at his feet, tortured moans cracking her voice. The former med-nin summoned one of his larger snakes, watching with a pleased eye as it lifted the writhing woman in its scales.
"I feeling rather magnanimous today; I think I'll give our friends another gift." The snake disappeared in a plume of white smoke, taking with it the cries of his partner. "Too bad I won't be able to see how long you last."
I wish I could see Sasuke-kun...
There was no way of knowing for certain whether it was the same road she had once stood upon, gazing at his back, but Sakura still felt that familiar warning in her gut - a frantic calling in her soul that screamed at her to find and latch onto him.
"Sasuke?"
Unlike years before, the more mature Uchiha turned his head in her direction, obsidian eyes honing on her smaller frame despite the weak lighting cast by the too few street lamps. "Aa," was all he would acknowledge.
The medic slowly moved closer, watching with discerning eyes as he stood firmly in the middle of the vacant road, facing the direction of the village gates. He made no move closer towards that exit, but his contemplative expression worried the young woman in ways she hated to even admit. "What are you doing out here, Sasuke?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, his chin tilted slightly, lifting into the oncoming wind - his raven locks being tossed about carelessly. Sakura stopped along side him; she didn't take hold of him, but stood close enough so their bodies felt the warmth of the other.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I'm not really sure."
A moment passed in silence. "Like the last time?"
There was no need to feign ignorance as to what he was referring to. "Yes." She stood quietly beside him, ignoring the chill settling into her bones from the night wind. Just as the previous time they met down a darkened road in Konoha all those years ago, her stomach rolled with uncertainty. There was a restlessness about him, minor twitches in his usually calm demeanor that sent a wave of unease washing over her.
When she spoke, the whisper of her voice couldn't hide the trembling anxiety from her tone. "Are...are you leaving again?"
This sentence finally turned the Uchiha's head towards her, but only slightly. He studied her closely, his brows drawing down in thought, before turning dark eyes back to the empty road. "No."
Amazing how a simple word could dispel all the worries building inside her. Sakura could no more stop the audible sigh of relief from leaving her lips than she could stop the wind from blowing. Her muscles relaxed and in the wake of it all, she suddenly felt weary.
"But I've thought of it, several times."
Her eyes searched his face in the darkness, saddened by the truth she saw in his words. Every rebuke she had perched on the tip of her tongue, ready to unleash at him for thinking of deserting them once more was held back by one simple fact...his honesty.
Sasuke didn't have to share such information with her – especially when he already knew how she would react – but he'd chosen to do so. Sakura also held firm to his initial response. He wasn't going to leave the village.
She chanted that mantra in her head for a moment before daring to speak. "Wha...what stopped you?" Knowing his undeniable urge to strike at those who'd wronged him or his own, Sakura was curious as to what could have held the former avenger back. Regardless of what it was, she was eternally thankful. No matter the trials and hardships they continued to face, Sasuke was at least with her during each of them. They'd grown closer than she ever thought possible and she didn't want to loose that – to anything.
He shifted beside her, his Kusanagi rustling against the back of his form fitting dark shirt. Sasuke didn't turn to face her; instead, he continued to gaze – almost longingly – at the open road. "You." If he heard her breath hitch, he didn't let it show. "Naruto – dobe that he is." This brought a smile to her face. "Itachi."
Sakura felt her heart clench at the mention of his brother's name. While Sasuke didn't let any emotion cross his stoic face as he spoke Itachi's name, Sakura could feel the lingering pain held back in his voice. She stepped in front of him, the tip of her boots brushing against his. Sakura found herself fighting against the addicting pull of his spicy scent and heat of his body. Keeping silent, she simply looked up at his handsome profile, waiting until Sasuke felt compelled to speak more.
With a deep sigh, he turned those onyx eyes onto her, holding her gaze for an endless moment before he spoke. "He sacrificed everything for this village. I have finally found a place where I can be...comfortable, here. Leaving now, for whatever reason – I would lose that place." An unnamed emotion crossed his angular face. "Probably forever."
Sakura took his hand, threading his cold fingers through her own. Somehow, she managed to hold back her tears as she smiled up at him. "Whatever the reasons, I'm glad you're staying. And we will get him, Sasuke. We'll get him together – all of us."
A warm feeling filled her gut at the rare small smile he graced her with. Sakura gripped the back of his neck, meeting him halfway as their lips met. She smiled into the kiss, unable to contain the utter happiness at Sasuke's own choice to stay in Konoha. A muffled hum of pleasure emanated from his chest as he deepened the kiss, hands holding her close while he took his time tasting her sweetness.
Sakura's presence of mind had all but left when shouts near the village border pierced the haze filling her mind. Her confused eyes met Sasuke's own for a heartbeat before they were both dashing towards the gate. One of the guards sprinted by them, making his way into the village, as they ran. The few remaining guards at the gate were speaking to an ANBU member on the outskirts of the forest surrounding Konoha.
"What's going on?" Sakura asked as they drew near.
The ANBU took only a moment to recognize the two before nodding to the shinobi and disappearing back down the darkened road.
"Patrol found something on their rounds. Ikumi-san just left to inform Hokage-sama."
The urgency in his voice had Sasuke fingering the handle of his blade. "What did they find?"
"It's more like who they found, Uchiha-san."
A/N:
Sooooooooooo...yeah...umm, hey :)
I could give my excuses (i.e. vacation time, surgery + recovery time) but you don't wanna hear none of that, right? Sorry it's been almost 2 months guys! What can I say? Life happens (and yes, I was a little lazy too – let me not even lie about it).
However, your reviews all kept me going! And hello to all the new readers out there! Thanks so much for reading/reviewing/and – from what I see – enjoying the fic. I hope you all like the new chapter! Keep those reviews coming to motivate me! (pretty please ;)