Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand
I do not own Naruto
Sakura pushed herself up off the ground, her eyes never leaving the Uchiha still crouched a few feet away. He watched with a predatory gaze, something she'd never seen in him before—at least not directed at her. She ran a mental scan of herself while she pondered his words. Chakra severely depleted, muscles atrophied from her confinement, the medic cursed silently to herself. Of all the moments, this one presented her the smallest chance possible to dish out the beating Sasuke deserved.
She was about to tell him to forget it, when he said, "If you beat me, Sakura, I'll let you go."
The healer froze. You arrogant bastard! She balled her hand in to a fist. He was so certain of his victory over her that he'd offer her the one thing he knew she truly wanted. Forget better food, forget no more chakra bonds, forget no more daily visits from Suigetsu. He could have offered any of those smaller favors as her victory prize, but no, he wanted her to know her freedom was on the line. He wanted her to really fight him.
And she knew that he was aware she was in no condition to beat him.
She was suddenly so angry, Sakura felt like someone had stabbed her between the ribs, suddenly depleting her air supply. How dare he? How dare he think so little of me. She wasn't sure what made her angrier, the fact that he knew she wasn't in any shape to fight him, or the fact that he thought it wouldn't matter even if she was. In her mind, what Uchiha Sasuke needed right then, more than anything, was a thorough, crushing defeat.
And there was one way, though it was a long shot, that she could accomplish that.
"And if you win?" The kunoichi folded her arms across her chest. "What then?"
"When I win, you'll agree to be a more amiable prisoner."
Sakura frowned. "Define more amiable."
"Among other things, you'll answer when you're asked a question. You'll refrain from physical violence. And no more insults."
"Sounds like I have more to lose in this."
He shrugged. "Do we have a deal?"
Taking a good, long look at her former teammate, Sakura nodded. What she was about to do went against every fiber of her being. She was going to give Sasuke exactly what he deserved, but in a manner he wasn't expecting. If this worked out as she had planned, her freedom was a very short distance away. The medic steeled herself for what she as about to do, and waited.
After a few moments of her inaction, Sasuke broke the silence. "You're welcome to attack first, Sakura."
She swallowed the lump in her throat and softly replied, "You're the traitor to my village. I think it's fitting that you attack me."
She saw the sharingan user's eyes narrow. First hit—a success. Watching him for any indication of movement, she continued. "After all, you've already 'severed your bonds', helped kill your classmates, and watched Konoha burn," she said snidely. "Attacking an unarmed, imprisoned female seems like it'd be right up your alley nowadays."
Sasuke's jaw clenched, a telltale muscle twitch at the corner of his cheek informing Sakura that she'd just scored hit number two. However, she needed him to be even angrier. She wasn't ready to pull out her ace just yet, though.
"Are you going to hit me, or not?" Sasuke ground out the words through his clenched teeth. He lunged toward her, intent on knocking her off her feet once again. Sakura was two steps ahead of him, well aware of what movements his body language indicated. She spun out and behind, swapping sides of the room with him.
"What's the matter, Uchiha? Sharingan can't help you any when I'm not attacking? Guess you can't rely on your bloodline again."
Hit number three. If she'd landed that as an actual punch, her opponent would have been on his knees. Sasuke, however, hid his increasing anger well as the medic continued to taunt him.
"Sakura, you're stalling."
She shook her head. "Stalling? I'm just taking the opportunity to tell you some things you need to hear. You were always thick-skulled when it came to people talking to you."
"This is your last chance, Sakura. Attack."
"Why should I? You won't keep your word. You're nothing but a criminal now."
Sasuke cast her a withering look and turned to leave.
"That's right. Nothing but a criminal." Here was her moment. "A criminal, a traitor, and a murderer of kin." Her heart dropped into her stomach as Sasuke froze mid-step, but she couldn't back down now. He straightened, his back to her. She knew she only had to push him one little bit farther. "All you hated Itachi for, you've become. You have already become the monster you have inside of you."
It all happened in a blur after that. Before the last words had left her mouth, Sakura found herself pinned to the wall, Sasuke's hand at her throat. Blood seeped slowly from his one eye as his recently acquired mangekyo swirled. He said nothing, staring into her wide green eyes. He's still not going to do it. You're not in the mangekyo yet. You have to hit him one last time.
Though it was hard to breathe, she managed to rasp out her final barb. "You should have left me for your brother."
Reality slipped away from her as Sasuke sucked her into a world she'd only heard terrible rumors of.
A red dusty landscape stretched as far as her eyes could see. An ominous moon was overhead, lighting the barren waste around her. Sakura shivered despite the heavy clothing Sasuke's consciousness had seen fit to put her in.
"You forced my hand, Sakura." Sasuke's voice came from behind her, and she turned. Momentarily taken aback, she forced herself to hold her ground. Behind her stood Sasuke, but in advanced cursed deal form. Here, in his mind, he was the demon Itachi had warned her about.
Unable to move, she tried to control her breathing as he approached her.
"I never wanted to show you this, but you've gone too far. Now I have to teach you a lesson. I have to remind you of the position you're in." He looked away from her. "Remember, this is your doing."
He inclined his head and she was suddenly unable to move. Images sprung up around her, images of Ino, Naruto, and Tsunade. Echoes filled her mind about what a disappointment she was, how she'd let everyone down. Naruto lamented about how he'd always loved her and how she treated him like trash. Kakashi appeared and whispered how he never bothered with her because she had no potential.
Sakura couldn't even shut her eyes against the mental onslaught. She knew she'd brought this on herself. This was the only way to win. She simply had to endure. She had to focus on opening up the wounds she'd fought so hard to close over the last 3 years. She had to bring out the one thing that would save her.
Two tears sprung, unbidden, to her eyes as she wearily watched Sasuke through the haze of torturous visions around her. When she felt the air around her body warm, she knew she'd broken through her own wall.
Sasuke's took a step back as his control over Sakura wavered. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink to the ground. Around her, she could feel the comforting presence of her own control.
Years ago, this feeling had been given the name 'Inner Sakura'. She had even made it look like her. It was her fall back; her failsafe. Inner Sakura was that part of her that refused to give up. She was a separate entity in and of herself. She was the real Sakura who'd been pushed aside by years of childhood insecurity and school ground bullying. As Sakura had grown and matured, becoming more confident in her own skills, the need for Inner Sakura grew less and less. Unable to be rid of her second spirit entirely, she'd simply walled her up inside her mind, and dissolved her form and figure. Inner Sakura still existed, but she no longer had an appearance or a voice, just an overwhelming force of will. When facing an intruder inside her own mind, Sakura's second spirit was invaluable.
As Sasuke had found out with the 8-tails, the mangekyo had no way to imprison someone who housed two spirits.
Sakura felt the gathering storm around her, and she looked up at Sasuke, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said. "This means I win."
She battered the confused Uchiha with all the force she could muster. He struggled to hang on to her subconscious, but the strength behind her push was too much, and he was thrown out of her mind.
Back in reality, Sakura forced herself to her feet. She glanced over at Sasuke through cloudy vision, noting that her former teammate was more disoriented than she. Sasuke's shock of being thrown out of his own world had given Sakura precious time to make it towards the unlocked cell door. Fumbling her way out into the hallway, she could hear Sasuke's muttered curses.
It wouldn't be long before he was on her trail.
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Blood dripped from his nose as well as his eye as Sasuke recovered from what Sakura'd done to him. He wiped the warm liquid off his face, staring at the open door the Konoha medic left through. She did it. She got away. He took a few deliberate minutes to brood about what just transpired. She had it all planned out, and he had played right into it. Haruno Sakura had baited him, hooked him, and then made her escape. And he, the notorious Uchiha Sasuke, had fallen for it all. He was almost delirious with anger, yet at the same time, he was slightly impressed.
He wasn't impressed enough to let her get very far, though.
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This chapter was short because I wanted to focus on Sakura and Sasuke. I'll make up for it next chapter. Promise.
Coming soon: Chapter 22: It's Not my Time