Back Then
Finding Naruto's house was easy. In fact, finding his old friend was even easier.
"Sasuke."
There he is, standing outside of the Hokage's office, waiting for him with crossed arms. Sasuke felt his chakra arrive half way during his conversation with Kakashi. His bandaged hand sticks out, a reminder of how much he's had to sacrifice to bring Sasuke out of darkness.
"Naruto."
Sasuke never smiles, but his lips still form a smirk when Naruto places a hand on his shoulder as a greeting. He has definitely calmed down in the past two years, Sasuke thinks. Though there is still a thin layer of Naruto's mischievousness over his facial features, there is no loudmouth greeting or hyperactive physical movements for the reason of Sasuke's return.
He follows Naruto's steps down the Hokage tower, wondering how much time his friend spends here as he is getting ready to take Kakashi's job. The streets of Konoha are empty at this time of the night and Sasuke is grateful. He still remembers walking downtown along with Naruto two years ago; they would be stopped after taking every step by both civilians and fellow shinobi. Anyone and everyone wanted to talk to Naruto, a Konoha habit that must have remained from the days of the war. They were more apprehensive with Sasuke, but his teammates ensured that he never felt uncomfortable of peoples' comments.
They turn right from the main street, into a smaller, more residential area of the ever-growing village. Naruto remains silent, with his hands resting behind his head while Sasuke follows a few steps behind. His friend is unable to see how his eyes travel to every corner of the newly built Konoha, trying to remember where things were before his last departure.
Naruto stops in front of a fenced two floor house. From the outside, Sasuke can tell that the new Uzumaki residence has more than three bedrooms; Hinata's father must have ensured that his firstborn lived in a decent place. And for Naruto, this is a big step from his small one bedroom apartment.
His best friend turns around and gives him a fox like grin. "I would punch you in the face for missing my wedding, but I don't think my wife would like it if I brought you over with a bruised eye."
"Tch. Like you could, usuratonkachi." Back to old times.
"Why you-"
"Naruto-kun, you're home." The fence opens and Hinata is standing on the other side, a warm expression washing her face as she looks at her husband. "Ah, good evening," she bows towards Sasuke. "Welcome back."
Sasuke appreciates that, out of this marriage, at least one of them has manners. He enters a household that vaguely reminds him of the grandiose of the Uchiha complex. Naruto's kitchen and living room are modern enough for their time, and Sasuke cannot help but notice the small stack of cup ramen noodles sitting at the corner of the dining table. There are symbols of the Hyuuga clan scattered in a few places, yet the Uzumaki whirlwind is still present.
It seems that Naruto is doing well. Much better than Sasuke could have ever wished for his best friend.
They sit in the living room, the tea that Hinata prepared before going back to bed slowly steeping in the kettle. If Sasuke had his two arms, he would lace his fingers and rest his chin on them while his elbows rest on his knees. But now, aside from being a one-armed man, he is just exhausted from all the traveling and the coughing. It's still not very noticeable, and he wonders how much more time he will have before the attacks happen on a regular basis.
"So I eavesdropped a little on your conversation with sensei," Naruto starts. "What's all that about?"
And Sasuke tells him about his suspicions. He might have discarded some details and added a couple that he did not mention to Kakashi, such as the name of the ancient chakra roaming around in the North. Nevertheless, Naruto understands the reasoning behind his desire to pursue this unofficial mission, and how important it would be to have trustworthy company.
"It makes sense that you wanna see him," he says. "I mean, after all, he's the one first one of your clan and you're the last. Like coming full circle, right?"
Sasuke just nods.
"So," Naruto continues, "you wanted me to go with you?" He raises an eyebrow slightly amused. Having Sasuke ask him for favour is more than rare. It's something that has almost never happened before. "But you're taking Sakura-chan instead. I wonder why..."
"Idiot," he interrupts. "You just got married."
If he was not sitting in Naruto's living room, drinking out of his cup of tea, with the weight of years of betrayal sitting on his shoulders, Sasuke might have pulled out a kunai and aimed it at the wall behind his friend's head, just close enough to grace his ear and signal him to shut the hell up. But Sasuke is a different man now, supposedly Naruto is too, though some things never get old.
His best friend must have noticed the brief glances he used to throw at Sakura during his brief stay in Konoha. Or how he would try to spend a lengthened amount of time around her, at the hospital, at Ichiraku's, walking home. Sasuke never learned how to voice his emotions without bloodshed being part of the picture, so attempting to prove his increasing interest on Sakura meant doing it through cautious actions.
And it's ironic how a clueless person like Naruto, with the memory of a gold fish, would pick up on those things.
"You better watch out, teme. You do something and I'll-"
"Save your words. I already got that talk from Kakashi."
His blond friend grunts, crossing his arms while leaning back on his chair. The wedding band on his left hand glints against the light. They will have another time to talk about that in more detail. "Man, I wish I could come along. It would be like a Team Kakashi retreat!"
"It's not a retreat, Naruto."
"Whatever. You know, Sasuke," Naruto leans forward, his sky blue eyes solely focused on his best friend. "You and I will always be connected. We started off as brothers in the past, and now look at us. We are the strongest out there, and you're indispensable in my life." His face grows serious. "If you need anything, I will be there for you."
They may not remember everything from their previous lives, but it is true that their chakra has always manifested at the same time and created unbelievable things. Sasuke will forever be thankful for the friend he has, the one who saved him. But now it is his turn to continue bringing answers to this world. And he hopes to do so wit this journey.
"Then can I rest here until dawn?"
Then
There is a point where Sakura is panting so much that she feels she will lose her breath. She cannot recognize where her limbs end and Sasuke's begin, everything having turned into a whirlwind of emotions and physical touch. Her bare chest is heaving when she inhales, touching Sasuke's and sending those jolts back down her arms and up her legs until they collide in her core.
They pick up the speed, moans breaking out of her voice at their own will. Her hair, disheveled, mixes with his dark locks as he brings their forehead together. He crashes his lips with hers, unable to let any part of their bodies be disconnected. Sakura traps him with her arms, at last with the freedom to give him and receive all they have to offer.
She just... loves him so much. And there has never been a real reason as to why, after so many years of pondering with that question. There is something magnetic about Sasuke, like a force field she cannot avoid. Its effect is so strong that every wound he inflicts on her isn't enough to stop her love. She knows him too well, as if they had known one another in a past life.
Maybe that's why loving him is like breathing air, because her lungs have been filled by him long ago. Sometimes it's toxic, sometimes he's as clear and fresh as all the air she needs.
And right now, her lips glued to his, they share their breath as the thrusts go faster and faster, until they each reach a point of bliss that was unknown before. Sakura keeps repeating the same words in her mind, scattered in the air when she can't hold them any longer.
I love you.
"I love you, Sasuke-kun," she whispers. "I..."
"I know."
He feels the same way too, though he needs no words to express it. He gives her everything, reaching the last point until his muscles go limp and he feels the result of their bliss. Their heartbeat slows down gradually, yet her hands do not leave his back and neither does he move away from her.
They stay connected for a while, almost an eternity in Sakura's mind. She tries to connect the dots as to how they ended up like this, but disregards that train of thought when Sasuke starts to stir. His head, which was snuggle tucked in her shoulder, lifts until he can fully face her. She looks straight into his mismatched eyes, the ends of his hair tickling her skin.
He kisses her, slowly, deeply, passionately. And it is enough for Sakura to understand his feelings.
Sasuke separates their lips and speaks. "You need to go."
He gets up and starts to readjust his clothes. Sasuke does not turn to look at her still sprawled on the ground, undressed, with shock painted on her features. His mind starts to outline a plan, a way of encountering his ancestor at the place where he lost his brother. He has enough strength to summon a hawk and get all of his weapons from Orochimaru's hideout. After all, they are not too far away from it.
He is about to perform the hand seals when he feels a sharp blade quickly grace by his ear and stab a tree trunk in front of him. The stinging is enough to make him turn around and face his teammate. Sakura stands, still unclothed, her bare chest contracting and expanding in growing anger, her hands tightened in fists while her face shows an expression he has seldom seen.
"Why!?" Sakura yells. "After all this," her index finger points at the lab coat, now covered in soil, still spread on the ground, stained with traces of their virginity. "After this you still want me to leave?"
He disappears from her line of sight, but she feels him reappear behind her and swiftly catches his hand before it can knock her out.
"Sakura-"
"Don't you even dare pull that on me again." She does not even care that she is practically naked while he is fully clothed.
Yet Sasuke does not seem to want to continue fighting. He avoids making eye contact with her as he walks forward, continuing a journey that was unpredictably interrupted by an activity he imagined performing with Sakura in a different setting.
Sakura quickly puts on her clothes. However, Sasuke is already out of sight by the time that she is ready, having probably used his technique, and she has to sprint forward to get a sense of his chakra. She runs among the trees, her arms moving back and forth to give her momentum in the darkness of the night. Sakura does not know the area too well, she has only seen its maps many years ago when they were searching for Sasuke.
Now she regrets having little to no knowledge of her surroundings. She needs to find him. And she needs to do it fast.
"I'm not leaving you alone!" she exclaims. He must be here, somewhere, listening to her voice. "Sasuke-kun, you get nothing by pushing me away! I'll come and find you no matter where you are!"
Her legs continue moving, the ache rising between them at the back of Sakura's mind. She will have time to think about it later. As of right now, finding the man who she just gave her virginity to is much more important. The trees around her, all uniformly looking, make her stop dead on her tracks.
"I know you're here," Sakura's voice cracks. "Genjutsu doesn't work on me, you know that."
She looks around, searching for the outline of his body until she finds him standing in between tree trunks. His eyes contemplate her, the same expression he has when he remembers things of the past dancing around his face. Sakura approaches him, thinking of how they have given everything to one another yet he still wants to run away.
"Don't do this to me, please." She reaches him and lays her head on his chest, his heartbeat the only source of comfort.
"I'm sorry I have put you through all of this," he confesses. "But this..." this thing I feel for you, "I have to go through it alone. I don't know what may happen."
"Nothing will happen to me if I go with you."
"Sakura-"
"Sasuke-kun, if you die, it means that I'm not the best medic out there. And that you're not as strong as you think you are."
She knows that he is one of the greatest shinobi to walk on Earth, but his attitude is one of his many drawbacks.
"I'm just..." Sasuke begins, caught in a moment of vulnerability, "I'm just tired of fighting for everything. I fought for my revenge, for my salvation, and now I might have to fight to get my life back. If this could all just end."
Sakura wraps her arms around her teammate, her friend, her lover. Her one and only. "You never had to fight for me, Sasuke-kun. I've always been here protecting my back and yours."
He can't help but kiss her again. "Why?" he asks. An empty question, at this point.
Why does she love him so much?
Why is she so stubborn, yet perfect in his eyes?
"Because I will follow you until the end of the world."
Her smile is so sincere that it hurts him on the inside. He wishes to give her the world though he has nothing to offer. Sasuke may be one of the strongest ninja in the world, but Sakura is the strongest person in his life and that puts her into a completely different league. She is not one to be put on a pedestal. No, Sakura belongs in the battlefield, in the emergency room, in his one and a half arms, wherever she can bloom.
That's what makes her so special and yet so easy to love. He must have done some good in one of his past lives to deserve her presence in this one.
And so, in the middle of the night, after giving his everything to her, Sasuke summons his weapons and sets off to his final destination with Sakura by his side.
They run together, blurs flying in the middle of the dense forest, their hands laced together, turning them into one entity.
Now
Sakura observes the moon rise and fall from her window every sunset and dawn. Her long pink hair has already settled in her shoulders and back, combined with ancient ornaments that a thousand years ago decorated her tresses on a daily basis. She taps her fingers, trying to count how many times she has seen the night arrive before losing the number and thinking that her stay here has become permanent and eternal.
Her attire changes; the red top and pink skirt are replaced by a long gown of a pink so soft that it is almost white. The long sleeves, which reach the ground, were difficult to get used to at first but now she believes that returning to her shinobi clothes is a bigger challenge. This is where she belongs, her appearance finally matching her memories, and she gradually starts to act like the princess she has always been.
Time passes. There is no beginning or end at this point. Only her, this castle, and Indra.
However, there is a certain part of her heart that still feels hollow. A part that bears a pain that was once unbearable. It manifests the strongest when she kisses Indra. Her eyes close, and the hollowness in her heart opens to images of black hair, of leaves and a black fire that can never go out. She sees a single arm hugging her, caressing her skin, a deep voice talking, whispering, shouting with held in emotion.
She remembers a name. One that she whispers to the moon when Indra cannot hear her. She traces it on her skin, thinking that the symbols will soothe the ice cold feeling in her chest but it only makes it burn with more intensity. It is unbearable at times, to the point that during the day Indra has to hold on to her hand, soothe her, and tell her that she will no longer feel pain about love because no harm will come as long as they are with one another.
That whatever bad memories she had have been erased from her mind, but the aftereffect takes longer to disappear from her body.
"You are a strong woman, Hime. The strongest, and together we will overcome every obstacle that gets in between us," Indra professes whenever they walk down the beach.
He kisses her forehead in the middle, where her seal remains. The only souvenir of the power she holds in her hands. The remaining trait of her life as Haruno Sakura, kunoichi of Konohagakure.
She is still Haruno Sakura, though she has carried many names in the past and this one is just another added to the list. Konohaha Sakuyahime, Indrani, Uzumaki Mito, it goes on. But now she has a different purpose in her life, to be completely one with her ancient true love.
And though the hollowness continues every time she remembers the name of Sasuke, her mind reminds her that loving Indra is the right thing to do. In spite of their tragic past lives, it currently hurts less, and gives her security.
There is no point in remembering a man who caused her so much pain when she has one willing to give her the world.
Then
The ruins appear before them. Sasuke does not need to point them our for Sakura to notice the rubble; the change in his stance is enough for her to know that they have arrived. She sees a hill, almost a mountain, of rocks and broken concrete that has been invaded by the natural habitat after so many years of abandonment. Little brushes grow between the cracks, and even a couple of tall trees have grown at the bottom.
They climb what is left of the old Uchiha hideout in silence. He must be immersed in his thoughts, Sakura concludes. This is where his brother died the first time, where Sasuke's revenge was finally achieved. And now he is thrown back in here to face the progenitor of his powers.
There is no staircase or secret door to follow. Sakura and Sasuke are simply using their hands and feet to move large pieces of concrete around to find a clue that will lead them to Indra. If he is just abstract chakra right now, then he must not need much upkeep in his surroundings. However, if he has turned into a full fledged physical being, then Sakura wonders if he has created a small nook for himself.
"Sasuke-kun," she calls for her teammate when she feels a small hint of a third chakra.
He stops, nods, and changes in direction to follow the chakra they have found. Sakura keeps her distance, giving him enough space to revisit his past. She tries to keep her eyes away from the scattered blood stains, already dry and dark brown, for they tell the story of how two brothers once faced one another, and how one of them is still standing.
The chakra grows stronger. Sakura can feel it better now; it is ancient, powerful, similar to Sasuke's, almost as if she had known it from before she was born. Her teammate stops in front of a rock that has the Uchiha symbol engraved. He touches it with the tip of his fingers, affirming that this is where the chakra feels the strongest.
"Take a few steps back," Sasuke advises, and when she is far enough he activates his Susano'o.
Sakura is near the limit of the majestic purple flames, engulfed by Sasuke's chakra. She feels an uncomfortable pull on her belly, and then they are transported into the engraved symbol. This is it. This is the only entrance to Indra's location, and they are getting closer to finding answers.
Darkness meets them, and it takes Sasuke a second to realize that Sakura's chakra signature is far away. She must have landed in the opposite side of this mysterious place. It is an underground chamber that not many Uchiha had access too, and this is his first time in such place.
His eyes try to readjust to the darkness, but two torches light up on opposite sides. He recognizes the decorations suitable for a ritual in a shrine. The lanterns, the incense, and the bowl where the offering is supposed to go. He also finds that, though Sakura is trying to make her way back to him, he isn't alone in this room.
There he finds him, as he looks up to a throne elevated by a flight of stairs. Ootsutsuki Indra in flesh and bone. His hands, resting on his lap, have their fingers interlaced. Sasuke sees himself first sitting on that throne, as if he was looking at his own striking eyes and facial features before his mind understands that the figure manifested in front of him is his ancestor. There may not be many physical similarities between him and Indra, but there is an air in their chakra signature that feels the same.
"Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. You have finally arrived to your destiny." His deep voice resonates in the shrine, vibrating along with Sasuke's heartbeats.
"Indra."
The almost deity smirks down at his reincarnation. "You must have learned a lot about me. You and I, we are connected. We are the same."
Sasuke's jaw trembles. "And you don't belong in this world anymore. It's time that you go back to being dead."
Indra, tall and imposing, with long dark hair and a striking Sharingan, stands up from the throne and takes steps down the stairs towards his reincarnation. Sasuke's hand is already on his sword, ready to attack. He already has a plan outlined in his mind, all too aware that at this point a fight will break out.
However, the closer his ancestor gets to him, the weaker Sasuke feels. It's like the effects of Sakura's pill are wearing off, as if Indra is sucking the life out of his lungs.
It becomes more difficult to breathe and to move. His hand can no longer unsheathe his sword, paralyzed in front of the man who has been taking away every ounce of his chakra for the past weeks. Sasuke grunts unwillingly, trying to grasp any ounce of air for his lungs before he falls on his knees and starts coughing up blood while sweat builds on his brow. Indra is close enough to look down on him, as if he were vermin, another stain on the ground.
And it is like seeing his own eyes.
"We are near the end of your life and the resurrection of mine," he announces. "Now, we only need the last detail to this moment to fulfill my return."
Sasuke feels Indra's hand approach him, ready to touch his skin and take what is left of him. That is, until he feels his ancestor freeze on the spot when he hears a third voice.
Sakura is beyond angry.
First of all, she lands in an unknown location, all alone. Sasuke is far away, and her paranoia increases when she feels an ancient chakra accompanying her teammate. Thinking of the worst, and expecting the worst, she sprints towards Sasuke, weaving through more rubble and dried bloodstains. Sakura does not care that the ceiling may fall on her as she punches through rocks and destroyed walls.
She wants to get to Sasuke as fast as she can. She did not work this hard to end up losing the love of her life and get stuck in this place. Sasuke's chakra feels closer as Sakura makes her way, but she finds it weaker. It must be that the pill's effects are wearing out, she concludes through her turmoil of thoughts. Indra must be attacking her Sasuke-kun, and he cannot fight back.
And that is the scene she witnesses when she finds them. Sasuke is on his knees, vulnerable beyond her belief, while the tall man standing in front of him is about to attack.
"Sasuke-kun! What did you do to him!?"
If he had any strength, Sasuke would turn his head around to see his teammate charge forward. However, he can only afford to hear Sakura's quick steps fro behind, feel the flare of her chakra at seeing him in such a vulnerable position, and imagine the expression that must be on her face.
Sakura is ready to put it all on the table. Her fists are charged with chakra, willing to punch this man into oblivion. She does not care that he is Indra, the progenitor of the Uchiha and her teammate's past life. All she can see is Sasuke, about to be harmed, and she cannot let that happen.
However, when she is about to run forward, Indra speaks.
"It's you." His expression changes. "Haruno Sakura." He is no longer threatening Sasuke. Instead, his arms have fallen to their side and he seems to be shocked.
"How do you know my name!?" she yells threateningly. It is impossible, they have never met before.
Indra's eyes change, much to Sasuke and Sakura's confusion. They go from shocked to nostalgic to plain tragic. Almost as if he was remembering something, baffling the other two. Sasuke cannot get up from the ground, and Sakura finds herself frozen in place, unsure whether attacking is the appropriate thing to do. For a second, their opponent seems to be harmless.
But that is a thought that she immediately regrets, for Indra jumps towards her and grabs a hold of her waist. Sakura can barely register his moves before she feels a pull on her belly button, similar to the one that brought her to this place with Sasuke.
Then, everything around her begins to spin. Her eyes widen in fear. She sees Sasuke get up from his knees and charge forward, his hand reaching out to grab her own extended one. As soon as their fingers touch, Sakura's slip out as Indra pull her backwards. Amid all of that turmoil, she suddenly finds herself crying in desperation and calling out his name.
"SASUKE-KUN!"
Sasuke yells for her, the tone in his voice filled with a desperation she has never heard before.
He is paralyzed, unable to jump and take her from Indra's arms. He can only hear his voice, his words, echo through his mind. It feels like the end of the world.
"You are my reincarnation, yet you don't deserve her. I have waited for more than a thousand years to be with her, and you will not take that away from me."
And the next thing Sasuke knows is that Sakura, his teammate, friend, home, has been taken away from him.
OOOOHHHH S#IIIIIITT just got real.
We are finally at the merging point of the timelines! Congratulations for making it this far, we still have a ways to go though!
Thanks everyone for the 300 reviews and 400 follows! I will get around to answer those reviews in a bit. I would've never imagined that so many of you would be interested in reading a story like this. Let's keep this fandom alive and see what will happen next. This update was a lot faster than the last, and it is due to me having more time in my hands right now. I will be moving to a different city in about three weeks, and then grad school starts. Hopefully I get to finish this before that.
What did you think of this chapter? To all those who picked up on the Mito thing, I have this headcanon in my head where Madara and Mito loved each other, but could not be together because she was betrothed to Hashirama. Since Madara reincarnated into Sasuke, Mito was born again as Sakura, which is why she was able to have great chakra control and get the seal on her forehead. Also, it gives more depth into the tragic story that originated between Indra and his late wife.
The Back Then portion was meant to show how deep the bond between Naruto and Sasuke is, as well as a nod to what happened in the first chapter. Actually, this whole chapter is meant to reflect on what happened when we started the story lol.
It may seem that I am cutting things short, and it's because of how much my life will change in September. Nonetheless, you all have been absolutely wonderful will all of your positive messages and support! This has been a difficult summer for me, and KoG has helped me pull through. Take care of yourselves and until next time :)
Sincerely,
MSM