Chapter 58 - Corvus Aldebaran
Karin, following her arrival, following the revelation—there was no better word for it—about Asaoto, caught her breath and retreated to the room that Sakura had set aside for her and slept until the next morning, without much of another word.
Sakura tried to continue on with work as usual.
Juugo tracked her down in the hallway, after this.
"Is Karin okay?" he asked. "What's wrong? She won't answer her door…"
Sakura groped for words.
"She's… a little tired from the journey over, I think," she said, managing a smile.
"Oh, I see… I hope she's okay…"
"It's okay, Daddy. Mommy told me that the baby just makes her kinda tired sometimes."
Asaoto nestled so naturally into the crook of Juugo's arm, not even taking up the whole space. His blanket made his small face look even smaller.
"That's… generally how it is," Sakura said.
Trying not to let the boy's new nature bother her.
Then again, Yakata didn't bother her. Even though she had known the.
(…man he used to be?)
Then again, Yakata lived with Sasuke and out of sight. And he'd been out of her mind since then.
(Well, until Kakashi came to her about him.)
Then again, she had only met him, properly, once, the month before. Kiine likewise, an even longer time before.
(Kiine was a distant, political, barely-connected creature in her mind, at this point.)
Though Kiine's origins were as unknown to her as Asaoto's were, since Karin didn't bother going into details.
For the time being.
"But she'll be okay. Right, Sakura-sensei?" the boy said, delicate and articulate.
"Yeah, I'm sure she will," Sakura said.
Sakura wasn't sure if she would be, though.
She found herself calling Ino in the middle of dinner, unable to stomach more than a few bites of food. Sakari and Kenji and Lee all looked up as she apologized and went to get the phone.
She stood, just holding it, for quite a while. The dial tone eventually became the busy tone.
She hung up.
Thought.
Picked up the phone again.
Dialed.
Hung up.
Why the hell was she even doing this?
Picked up dialed put the phone to her ear as if trying to prove a point.
Waited for a forever.
"Uchiha residence, this is Ino."
"Ino, hi, it's—it's me."
"Sakura? Hey, what's the matter?"
Words jumped out of her mouth. "Yakata. Um. How is he?"
"Yakata-kun? He's… fine?"
"Ohh, good, good, that's good."
"…Sakura, what's going on."
"Nothing, nothing, just… super busy day at work, you wouldn't believe…"
She could hit herself. She sounded like Ino did.
(After something had happened.)
(Which, something had.)
"And… what does that have to do with Yakata-kun?" Her voice was suddenly quieter. Sakura could hear her hand on the bottom of the receiver.
Why was Sakura even calling her anyways?
"Just… is he okay?"
"Yes, Sakura, I said before!" Ino's voice was a whisper-hiss. "Goodness, will you tell me what the matter is?"
"It's… Um. Karin, she's at the hospital. With me. To help with some… research."
"Okay…?"
"And I thought to. Oh, you know. See how he was doing. In general. For her sake. Since, um. You know."
"Since I know what?" Ino said.
"Who Yakata is," Sakura whispered.
"Who he-" A very, very sudden pause. "Oh. Oh. Goodness, I had almost forgotten about that…"
"What, honestly?"
With him living in her house all the time? With that face always in her sight?
Another pause, not nearly as sudden, but just a severe.
"…either way," Sakura continued. "So he's well?"
"Yes, for the third time," Ino said. "Is Karin really so insistent about his condition?"
"Well… no, but I'm sure she wants to know. Given that he's here."
"…sure."
Sakura thumbed the bottom of her elbow.
"Sakura, honestly, what's really bothering you?"
"I told you. Work today, it was-"
"You already told me that, what's going on."
Sakura swallowed. Bit her lip.
"Just… a bit of forewarning. We might—need to look at him soon."
JUST MAKE SOMETHING UP, an insistent little voice screamed, from the back of her head. C'MON!
"I don't know if Sasuke will like it. So I thought to warn you. That's all."
"…ah. I understand." Ino's voice suddenly regained its softness. It was a relief. "Thank you, Sakura, I'll… stay on my toes. I appreciate the warning."
"Yeah, sure, any time," Sakura said. "Is, uh. Everything else okay in the house?"
"…yes, Sakura, everything is more than fine," Ino said. Though she actually sounded like she meant it, there. "I keep telling you to stop worrying about me."
"Sorry. Can't help it."
(She really couldn't.)
"It's okay. I have to go, now. You take care," Ino said.
"Yeah, you too."
Ino hung up first.
Sakura returned to the empty dining room, the kitchen. She still hadn't regained her appetite.
Lee was cleaning up. "Hello, darling. Did you want anything further to eat? Otherwise I will continue with the cleaning."
"No, Lee, I'm… just not that hungry today." She rubbed an eye. "I'm sorry, it really looked delicious."
Lee leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before dropping a pot in the sink. "Do not worry. We own a refrigerator for a reason. Should you regain your appetite, this dinner that I have so lovingly prepared for you and our children shall be there for you, chilled and ready to reheat at your leisure."
Her heart swelled with just that little stroke of comfort. "Thanks…"
She didn't notice, a few minutes later, that she hadn't left the kitchen. Leaning against the green-tiled wall, near the fridge, trying to process her thoughts.
"Something is bothering you," Lee said, from the sink, with his yellow rubber gloves and his yellow apron. The one that Sakari and Kenji had made for his birthday, together, years ago.
"Huh?"
"Did something happen at the hospital?"
"Oh. No, not much…"
"I understand." Lee's gloves squeaked as he finished with his plate. "When I am done here, I should give you a nice back massage."
"Lee, you don't have to do that."
"I do not have to, but I would like to," he replied, with a smile like a bow on a present. "After all, did I not promise? To always be there to comfort you in your times of trouble. And I do keep my promises."
He had promised, years ago, and held fast to it. She smiled. "Well… maybe later. Not sure if I'm in the mood for a massage, exactly, though."
"Then perhaps we shall attempt something different!" Lee said brightly. "Would you prefer I satisfy you in the bedroom, dear wife?"
She started laughing. "L-Lee!"
"Well it is my husbandly duty to offer myself to you for such purposes," he replied, with utter sincerity.
"Well… Lee, you don't have to put it like that."
"Why not? I enjoy my duties as your husband!" He went back to washing the dishes with enthusiasm. "Whatever you wish to do to reduce your stress level, darling wife, I shall be willing to assist or at least make a most admirable attempt!"
"You are too good to me," Sakura said. She laid a kiss by his ear.
"I am only giving you what you deserve," Lee replied, looking back at her. "My offer still stands."
"I'll think of something you can do," Sakura said.
"Most excellent."
"I'll stay out of the way if you guys are planning anything loud," Kenji said, helpfully, poking his head into the kitchen.
"Kenji!"
"What! Just being respectful of your guys' privacy. If that's what it comes to."
"Very good of you, son! Respect towards one's mother and father is integral in the formation of a fine young man," Lee said. He clenched a fist and held it in the air. The rubber of the glove squeaked loudly.
"Thanks, Dad!" His almond-angled eyes with their strong lashes sparkled with exuberant youth.
"You two," Sakura said, barely holding back her laughter. "I'm getting out of here."
"You still want your privacy?"
"Kenji!"
"I'm just offering, Mom!"
"Just… fine, stay out of the way!" She grinned. "Just in case!"
"Then shall I prepare myself for your imminent pleasure, Sakura?"
"LEE!"
Sakura was feeling better, in the morning.
And so was Karin.
Sakura caught her after catching up with the rest of her staff. She was helping feed Asaoto in his room, holding out spoonfuls of mashed fruit and alternating it with yogurt. Asaoto sat in Juugo's lap.
"Good morning, Sakura-sensei," the child said, brightly. He licked yogurt off of the top of his lip.
"Oh, good morning." Karin turned around, briefly.
"G'morning," Juugo said.
"Things going all right over here?" Sakura asked.
"Splendidly," Karin said.
"We're having breakfast," Asaoto said, helpfully.
"Are you really."
Sakura was almost surprised that she was smiling. She couldn't even think of the boy as a.
It didn't seem to matter as much to her any more.
(Then again, she hadn't known who he.)
"We got strawberry mash today, it's pretty good," he said.
"Well, I'm glad."
His smile was a six-year-old's smile.
"Well, Karin, if you're feeling better, I wouldn't mind us sitting down together and sharing notes. Discussing findings."
"Hm? Oh. Sure, when I'm… done here, okay?" She cleared her throat.
"Oh, of course. I'll be waiting for you in my office. You, ah, do know where that is?"
"If I can't find my way over I'll just track your chakra."
"…sure! Enjoy the rest of your breakfast, Asaoto-kun."
"Thank you, ma'am."
She really did feel better about looking at him. He was just a boy.
From the night before, in bed:
"Lee," she said, "suppose there was another you."
"Another me?"
"Mm. Exactly like you. Only… well, younger. And smaller."
"I am supposing that there is another me, now."
"So… would you expect that… other you to be the same as you? Or different?"
"I suppose that would depend on several factors," Lee replied. "Would this other me have led the exact same life as me?"
Sakura paused. "That's… a pretty good question."
"Because while I do not doubt that another me would have the same vim and vigor and love of life that I myself feel, I am also willing to imagine that he might make different choices and choose other paths because of the things he has encountered. I myself would never have such an appreciation for the power of youth had it not been for Guy-sensei."
"You really think so?"
"It is something I think of often."
Sakura turned over on her back. The fan in the corner of the room cooled the sweat on her chest. "Wow, I… never pegged you for that sorta thing."
"Even one such as I must set time aside for deep thoughts," Lee replied.
That, at least, calmed her about Asaoto, since Lee's warm, consistent comfort had only taken care of her general anxiety.
Whomever he had come from, he was probably a different person from him.
(Probably. Dealing in hypotheticals was only a sort-of comfort, after all.)
(And the "however" still bothered her.)
(Lee couldn't possibly have answers for that.)
Karin met with her a half hour later. "Seems I made my way over here easily enough," she said.
"Ah, good to see you. You can sit down, if you'd like," Sakura said.
"Thanks."
She didn't let the silence last long, after Karin sat down.
"So, really. Are you feeling all right?" Sakura asked.
"Of course I'm feeling all right, why would I not?" Karin said, a soft snap in her voice.
"You seemed… well, pretty shaken. By what we found out yesterday."
"…oh. That." Karin shifted herself in her seat. "Yes, it… was a little upsetting. But I think I'm fine, okay? I just needed a nice rest, a night to think things over."
"That's good, I'm really glad to hear that," Sakura said. "I mean, you looked like death when you first came in, so I was worried that the shock might-"
"I'm fine, okay?" Karin said again. "Honestly, I'm more mad at myself than upset."
"Mad?"
"That I didn't notice. I mean, hell, I went for five years thinking it was just a coincidence that Juugo found him. I'm better than this, okay?" Karin glared at the corner of Sakura's desk.
"You honestly didn't know, though. I mean, I wouldn't have thought anything of those markings if I hadn't seen them on Yakata and Kiine and such first."
"Mm. I thought they were birthmarks, honestly. Birthmarks…"
"Karin. Don't beat yourself up for this, okay?"
"I'll try not to," Karin replied. She looked up. "Just… put yourself in my shoes, okay? I can't help but blame myself here. I should have known better."
"Karin, please. No one could have known. This whole thing just has us confused."
"You've got that right." She sighed. "At any rate, we have other things to talk about. Don't we?"
"Ah, yes, exactly," Sakura said. She reached into one of her desk drawers. "I have the medical charts for Yakata and Kiine right here and-"
"I've already seen them, you sent me copies," Karin said.
"…yes, I know, but I thought to get them out anyways."
"Fair enough."
"…oh, um. Speaking of Yakata. He's living with Sasuke right now, and his family. He's doing well," she added, quickly.
"Ah." Karin blinked, a few times, looking at something Sakura couldn't trace. "I think I saw him at the transport station, actually."
"You did?"
"He was with some girl. Long hair. His face had bandages all over it. What happened?"
"Oh that must have been—bandages?"
"He looked burnt."
"I… don't know what would have caused that. Oh! Which brings me to the point I was trying to make."
"Which was?"
"Did you want to, ah, inspect Yakata yourself? Because I could always ask Sasuke to bring him to the hospital for you."
Karin's expression was surprisingly sour, in reply. "Inspect him? What is he, an antique?"
"Well no, Karin, it'd be just a standard checkup, or whatever you wanted to do." Her chest felt tight with sudden, unusual awkwardness. "I just thought maybe you'd like to actually meet him, instead of just relying on a chart."
"Is there anything physically wrong with him?"
"…well, no, I don't think so. Beyond… well, the burns, as you said."
"Then why would I need to meet him, much less take a look at him? We already have his chart, okay?"
"I just thought… look, did I insult you or something?"
"You didn't insult me. You insulted him, okay?"
A befuddled pause. "How did I-"
"Maybe I'm just overreacting." Karin interrupted just a little too quickly. "I mean… okay. Take Asaoto. He's a child. And… regardless of his condition, or anything new we might have learned about him, I still think of him as one, and treat him like one." Her speech grew high, and passionate. "He's not like an experiment or anything, okay…?"
"Karin, calm down…"
She took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still trying to process."
"It's okay. Besides, you… well, you know Asaoto-kun better than me."
"Mm." Another deep breath, in, and out. "Well… besides the fact that giving Yakata a checkup is more or less superfluous—regardless of what you've done or haven't done so far—I don't think I have the fiber to confront Sasuke about him."
"'Confront'…?" Sakura said.
"I'm too tired to deal with him right now, okay?"
Sakura didn't have to think too hard about this.
"I understand. I could always ask him for you, you know."
"It's fine, you don't have to. Really."
"Well, all right. But if you ever want to-"
"I don't, okay? Now, may we move on?"
So they moved on.
There was little to discuss that wasn't already known between the two of them.
Though a little discussion was spent on things that.
Weren't so clear.
"So what do you think was used to, ah… make these children?"
Karin's pause was very severe and very poisonous. "Human cloning is more or less a pipe dream, at this point," she said. "Not because it's not feasible, of course it's possible with enough research, Sensei was already attempting it before he…" She cleared her throat, shifting in her seat. "It's just that I doubt anyone else would want to go that far, okay. Especially after the things that… Kabuto did in the war, of course, which you could hardly consider human. Which is exactly what I think he was aiming for, anyways."
"Right…"
"But, if there was a way… Well, he was already skilled with using surrogate mothers in his experiments with embryos. But that would probably attract attention somewhere if girls just started disappearing like that, for his use. He's too smart."
It intimidated Sakura, how Karin so easily spoke about such unsettling things.
Then again. She was Karin.
"Since it's been so long, I wouldn't be surprised if he somehow managed to expound on his techniques in growing organs in culture jars and moved right on to fetuses," Karin continued. "Artificial wombs."
"Wouldn't that be something…" Sakura said.
"Yes," Karin said, her hand firmly over her own, "it would be."
A long silence.
"How many do you think… he's made?" Sakura said, finally. "I mean, we're aware of three, already…"
"I don't think I could be able to say," Karin replied. "Even if we tried to guess—going by average gestational age, the number of years he's been missing, factors like that—we'd probably be wildly off."
"Probably…"
The conversation was, eventually, exhausted.
Almost.
"I'm going back to check on Juugo and Asaoto, okay?" Karin said. She adjusted herself, preparing to stand.
"Oh, Karin? One last thing."
"Hm?"
"You said… yesterday, that Juugo-san never went into detail about how he came to be Asaoto's father."
"Ah."
"Just… from the way you were going on about it, do you think that… he gave Asaoto to Juugo personally?"
"…that would be something, if he did," Karin replied. She stood, slowly. "It seems more likely that Asaoto was abandoned by… whatever family he was given to initially, since I doubt that he'd… show himself to Juugo so plainly. But I can… try and ask him about this for you, later. He trusts me more. No offense, okay?"
"None… taken?"
She began for the door.
"Oh, and Karin?"
"Mm?"
"…do you have any idea from… whom Asaoto came from? Like how, ah, Yakata came from Itachi..."
And with that question, Karin's eyes grew just that little bit softer.
"…Juugo had a friend, back when he was still in Orochimaru's… possession. A boy named Kimimaro. They were very close." A pause. "Kimimaro had the same condition that Asaoto has. He… passed away in the effort to transport Sasuke from Konoha to the Land of Sound."
"…oh. So you think-"
"It's only speculation, okay?" Karin turned toward the door. "Maybe I want to think that Orochimaru had a little bit of a heart, if he chose to allow such a child to fall into Juugo's hands. But it could be anything. As for Taki Kiine, I have no idea. The Uzumaki clan is not my area of expertise, okay?"
She took another step out the door.
"I'm planning on leaving the day after tomorrow, by the way. If you need to know anything further about Asaoto's treatment before I go, you know where I am."
"…yeah, sure."
Karin left, and the space of her absence seemed impossible to fill.
Sakura attempted to cover it with work. She had other patients to see, after all. Accident victims. Infections. Expectant mothers.
Her position afforded her a blessed amount of productive distraction.
Karin reappeared, before the end of the day. "Hey, Sakura."
Her voice was like a hand, and it made Sakura turn around in the hallway where she'd been caught. "Oh, Karin."
"Can I talk to you for a bit? I figured I'd try talking to you once you came near the wing again."
"Sure, of course." Karin began walking, with a beckoning hand, and Sakura followed, until Karin felt they were sufficiently isolated, it seemed. The air was still. "So what did you want to talk about?"
"I… asked Juugo for you, about Asaoto," she said. "Once I was sure I had him alone and he was calm enough."
"Oh. Oh! Did he tell you anything?"
For some reason, Sakura's chest felt like it was full of air.
"He… clammed up on me. I'm sorry. All I could get out of him was that he made a promise. 'I made a promise, I made a promise,' that was all he kept saying, and I had to stop before he got too upset."
"Oh, I… see."
Sakura's chest felt hollow and her stomach felt tight.
"Look…" And Karin looked her right in the eyes, her lips pressed tightly together. "I'm really sorry. I honestly wish I could do more, but, well… I don't want to make things worse, okay?"
"No… really, I appreciate it," Sakura said. "Thank you for doing that for me."
"Hey, saved you the embarrassment," Karin said. "Or, well, worse."
"Yeah…" An uncomfortable laugh punctuated Sakura's words. "Again, thanks."
"Hey. Least I can do, okay? I'm not here long, might as well help where I can."
"Mm."
Squirm.
"Well, uh! I'm heading home soon. I'll see you in the morning, unless something happens," Sakura said.
"Mm, I see. I'll see you in the morning, then."
Though for some reason.
Sakura did not take her usual route home, that evening.
And instead found herself winding by the Uchiha residence and knocking on the door. Karai, the youngest, answered.
"Oh, hi there, Sakura-san!" she said. "Can I do anything for you?"
"Your, uh, dad home, Karai-chan?"
"Oh yeah, he just got back! HEY, FATHER!" She yelled over her shoulder, and very loudly. "SAKURA-SAN'S HERE AND SHE'S ASKING FOR YOU!"
…yes, that girl certainly had a very loud voice, when she wanted to use it.
"You can come on in, if you want," Karai continued.
"Oh, no, I probably won't stay terribly long," Sakura said, waving her hand. She saw Sasuke coming down the hallway. "Ah, Sasuke!"
"Sakura. What brings you here?"
Karai got out of the way almost immediately.
"Oh, nothing, just thought to kind of get you up to speed on some stuff that's happened."
"What's happened."
"Well you do know that Karin's in Konoha, right?"
"Karin?" His eyes were just that bit wider. "What's she doing here?"
"She decided to accompany Juugo-san on a journey over. He's going to be living at the hospital for a while, with his, ah, son."
And then his eyes narrowed. Whether it was annoyance or an attempt at recollection, she couldn't tell. "Ah, really."
They did not widen again.
And for some reason, a memory and a mood and an expression jumped into her mind. "Ah, Sasuke…? Did… something happen between you and Karin, when you went to go visit her last month? You seem kind of… off."
Sasuke's lip curled upward. "You sound like my wife. Go spread rumors elsewhere, if you have nothing better to do."
"…well excuse me," Sakura said.
"You're excused."
She couldn't help but sigh. Roll her eyes a little. Sasuke.
"Is that all you have to say to me?" he said. He had his arms crossed.
And for some reason (a good reason) Sakura looked around, a little.
"Well, and I wanted to tell you that we found another one. Like Yakata."
Sasuke's expression did not change. "What do you mean, like him?"
"It's a little boy named Asaoto. Juugo-san's… son, actually. Karin says she thinks he came from someone named Kimimaro. I mean, that is to say…"
Sasuke's expression did not change.
"Did you, ah, know him?"
"No."
"Oh. Well, then."
"And you're telling me this why?" Sasuke said.
"…I just thought I'd let you know, Sasuke. Common courtesy. That's all."
"Well. I appreciate it."
And it was in that moment that a face appeared at the end of the hallway, and it was light pink from burns and covered with bandages.
"S-Sasuke-san, it's… it's time for dinner."
It was Yakata. And upon seeing Sakura he blinked, several times, before saying, "O-oh, hello there, um, Sakura-san!"
"Yakata-kun," she said, not even needing to make an attempt at sounding polite.
Maybe it was Asaoto, maybe it was her husband, maybe it was something else or all of it or none of it or whatever.
But she was able to smile when she looked at that boy, there. She saw Itachi's face on him, yes. But it was also not Itachi.
It was Yakata.
"I'll be going, then," Sasuke said.
"Sure, I'll be going too," Sakura said.
And they did so, Sasuke returning to his dinner table, where his first son had finally reappeared, to his lukewarm satisfaction.
And Sakura to hers, where her family ate curry so hot it would have burned her mouth off. But because they were her family, sweet curry had been made and set aside just for her.
The night passed without incident.
But in the morning, there was a man at the gates of Konoha. He was very angry, he was very impatient, and he was asking for Karin.