Disclaimer: All the standards applied. I don't own any of the recognizable Naruto characters.
Chapter 7: Redemption in Rain
Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.
It was only a light rain, but the sky was ominous smoky grey like fiery ashes. Around her, pedestrians were running to take cover, but Sakura made no attempt to follow them. There was no need, for the rain soothed her like the smell of coffee. She knew that if she stayed out any longer, she would catch a cold and in her current state, it wasn't healthy.
Green jaded eyes gazed at her surroundings, watching luminous signs flashed before her. The night city lights seemed alien to her.
Had the city always been this big?
Even though she frequented Tokyo at night many times, everything suddenly seemed so strange to her. She was starting to notice details she had missed on a regular basis; what she was witnessing seemed like an epiphany and it overwhelmed her.
"What's a sweet girl like you doing in the pouring rain?"
A man with dark charcoal eyes wearing a ragged grey jacket stumbled his way towards her and put his two hands on her shoulders. Sakura trembled in fear. Tokyo had never been such a scary place in her life, but then again, it was also her first time out alone. Alone. The word sounded foreign in her head. She was now alone. Without family. Without friends. Without anyone to lean on. The man reeked of beer and Sakura felt sick from the overwhelming stench. Staring numbly at him, Sakura wondered if she was going to be killed. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad ending.
"Oh sweetie," the man whispered slyly, "Didn't your mommy tell you it was dangerous to walk around at night alone? Especially for such a pretty girl like you." He moved his right hand and caressed her cheeks. His grin was lecherous, but Sakura couldn't register much. She felt numb.
"Why don't you come with me? I promise I'm going to give you a very good time."
Seeing that she wasn't going to resist, the man started pulling her hand, only to have a hand snaked out and stopped him. "Leave her alone!" A high timbre penetrated the pitter-patter of the rain.
Both Sakura and the man turn to find a girl in a bartender uniform with frightened amber eyes.
"Why kitten, what are you doing here? Want to join in on the fun?" The man leered at the girl.
"L-let her go."
The man suddenly groaned in pain and his grip on Sakura's wrist loosened. The other girl had grabbed the man's wrist and applied pressure on it. However, the drunken man was stronger than the girl, for he broke free and seized the girl by her throat.
"You bitch!"
Sakura snapped back into reality as her mind started registering the panorama in front of her. The girl, thrown against the wall, was kicking furiously as she glared at the man.
"I was going to play with my other kitten first, but you seemed to have changed my mind." The man leered.
Sakura knew she had to act. She was not going to let anyone lose her innocence. Her hands clenched into tight fists and her teeth gritted in fury."Let go of her, you asshole!" With those final words, she delivered a punch towards the man.
The man fell to the ground.
"Wow…" The girl, who was previously ensnared, gasped while breathing heavily, "I-I thought I was going to be raped tonight. Yahiko would've killed me for butting into someone else's business again."
"Maybe you should've minded your own business." Sakura snapped irritably at her as she started walking away.
"If you could've punched like that, then why didn't you do so sooner? It would've saved us a lot of trouble."
Sakura whirled around and glared at the girl who was obviously younger than her. "Maybe I didn't want to."
Completely unfazed and unoffended at Sakura's rude behavior, the girl started walking alongside her."Seeing that you're alone and looking somewhat lost, why don't you come with me?" The girl chirped. "Oh, I'm Konan by the way! Pleased to meet you."
Sakura momentarily stared at Konan, taken by surprise at her chirpiness. For god's sake, she was just about to be raped a few minutes ago. If Sakura knew the child was going to be this bothersome, she would've left her to die there.
"That's not nice you know."
Konan was eccentric on all levels. Her hair was an exotic shade of blue, close to the shade of periwinkle. Not only that, she adorned it with a blue paper flower that was a paler blue. Sakura wouldn't call her pretty, but she was definitely cute like a child. Judging from her facial expression and sociability, Sakura could tell that Konan's innocence had not been broken yet.
"Oh my! Where are my manners? You're dripping wet and here I am, engaging you in a silly get-to-know-each-other conversation. You should come to Akatsuki to dry yourself."
"No thanks. You'd do me a huge favour by leaving me alone." Sakura gazed at Konan firmly before continuing down her path of no destination.
Apparently, the word 'retreat' was not in Konan's vocabulary for she grabbed Sakura's arm, dragging her into the shadows of the street and down a flight of stairs to a grey metal door. The surrounding brick walls were vandalized with spray paint. A tattered sign which read, Akatsuki Club, hung haphazardly above the door. It looked as if it was going to fall to the ground any given moment. If Sakura hadn't heard music coming from behind the door, she would've doubt the club's legitimacy.
The sight behind the door blew her off her mind.
"I know right?" Konan grinned as she pulled her to the back of the club where the bar was located. She then shoved Sakura down onto a high seat. "We might not be well-known in Tokyo, but those who know us will never abandon this place. It's kind of a secret hideout."Now be right back. I'm going to the back to get you a towel. If any strange men come up to you, just ignore them. Plus you're in for a real treat tonight; they should be performing soon."
"I don't even want to be here." Sakura glared at Konan, who chuckled airily and bounced to the backroom.
Neon lights swirled in the dark to the punching beats of the song. The amount of people in the club was alarming and Sakura could feel the moist sweat in the air from the swaying bodies. She cringed in disgust at the sight of couples kissing and making out in corners. She needed to get out of here. Jumping off the seat, she made her way through the swaying bodies, only to stop at the sudden drop in music. Excited murmurs spread through the sea of people.
Four silhouettes stood in the dark of the stage. Immediately, excited screams erupted through the disco club as a guitar solo ripped through the room. The moment the other instruments and the vocal joined in, the lights above the stage lit up vibrantly, revealing the band.
Sakura stared hard; her jaded eyes never leaving the lead guitarist, who was the main vocal.
"Told you!" Konan's familiar voice rang out through the deafening disco once the band was finished. She hadn't realized that she had been standing there listening. It was as if the dimensions of time had halted to a stop. A towel was thrown in her face, in which Sakura caught it easily with her reflexes.
"The guests double when CriMson Night plays and half of the spectators are women-mainly for Itachi-sama though. Are you one of them?" Konan asked with mischief in her eyes. "Because I saw that look in your eyes."
"What are you talking about?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.
"I don't know," Konan singsong, "It was a mix of emotions, as if you know him. I can't say you lust for him but—"
"I'm leaving." It was a definite resolution as Sakura handed Konan back the towel and made haste towards the doors.
"But you're still wet!"
"It's fine," Sakura said stoically, "Really. Thank you for your hospitality."
"But—"
"What's going on, Konan?" A deep timbre voice interrupted the pair. Sakura turned to find a man with features that reminded her of Naruto. His hair was spiky orang reather than vibrant blond, but he had the same shade of clear blue in his eyes.
"Yahiko-kun, this girl was wet from the rain, so I thought she should have a change of clothing before she leaves." Sakura saw the emotions in Konan's eyes as she talked to Yahiko. She could tell that the girl held special feelings for the guy in front of her.
"What are you doing here, Sakura?" A deep, powerful voice rumbled through the club and a tall figure strolled over to them. Sakura winced at the familiar voice. She didn't want to see him. Not right now.
"That's Sakura!?" Konan's mouth dropped as she pointed her index finger accusingly at Sakura. "The Sakura who is likely to be the only girl close to Itachi-sama?"
"So we finally get to meet the hime-sama." Yahiko grinned mischievously.
Itachi must've sensed Sakura's distress, for he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back out into the cold, dark rain.
"Your mother called our family. They're looking for you and she sounded worried."
Sakura spat and her green eyes darkened, "She doesn't care if I'm alive." The words were bitter and acrimonious.
"You obviously don't have a place to go to, Sakura."
"I- I just want to disappear…" Tears began to fall as they mixed in with the frigid rain, "I don't want to be here anymore."
He stared at her from top to bottom, his eyes remained impassive, but she could tell he was putting the pieces together. Then he said, "How long?"
His eyes were forceful and she knew he wanted a clear-cut answer. "I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. I just want everything to go away."
There was silence, but then he said, "Why don't you stay with me, then?"
It was far from a romantic proposal, just a suggestion from a merely concerned friend. Sakura knew that Itachi looked at her like an imoutou, a sister who idolized him, and surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as before.
"No thanks," She gave him smile and started to leave, only to have his hand snaked out and grabbed her.
"I know you're going to do something stupid." Not even giving her a chance to protest, he dragged her back into the club.
"She's going to stay with us." The proclamation was irrevocable and definitive, not allowing for any objections.
Deidara, a blond who was sitting on the sofa of the backroom choked on his beer. "What? But Itachi! I don't want her here!"
Yahiko snickered, "Green doesn't look good on you, Deidara."
"Shut up, you—"
"She won't interfere with anything, Deidara." Itachi walked up to the young man and whispered something into his ears. Deidara turned around and looked at Sakura with suspicious eyes.
"Fine, but she's rooming with Konan." He snarled begrudgingly, but the edges of his tone were no longer harsh as before.
"Yay! A new roommate!" Konan grinned cheerfully as she bounced her way to the other girl and gave Sakura a bear hug, "Welcome to the family of the Akatsuki, Sakura-chan!"
It was times like these when Sakura is haunted by memories of the past. They didn't exactly bring her nightmares. In fact, they were memories of the happier times. It wasn't that the present brought her misery, but now that she was finally socializing herself with the world, it brought many insecurities and obscurities.
She smiled wistfully at the greyness in the sky. Maybe she ought to visit Akatsuki again. Since they were back in town, it was the most likely the place they were staying at. The business might've stopped awhile ago, but Sakura knew the group wouldn't abandon that place. After all, it was their home. While at that, she could lash out at Itachi for creating a scene at the restaurant. Of course, knowing the man, he would give her a smartass reply, leaving her flabbergasted and irritated. It wouldn't exactly be healthy, but it would be a nice change from the tension between Naruto and her. Although she trusted Kurenai like a mother (second to Tsunade), there were things talking couldn't solve.
"You're going to get sick walking in the rain." The sudden deep voice pulled her out of the thoughts and she glanced to the side to find Sasuke in his grey Lancer Evo.
Sakura returned the comment with a humored smiled, "I like the rain, Uchiha." And it was true. She loved the rain. She felt like it cleansed the world from all the sins that had been committed. It was like God's sign of salvation; the aftermath of a storm is sunlight and hope. It was a sign that she will eventually be forgiven, a bit more each time.
That's what Itachi-kun liked to tell her, wasn't it?
"Stop being stubborn and get inside."
Of course, trust Uchiha Sasuke to demand and not ask. Sakura wondered if she ever owed him anything in her past life. One brother was her hero while the other was her constant nightmare.
"I'm not being stubborn. I just want to enjoy the rain since it rarely rains in Tokyo. Besides, my mother told me not to talk to strangers."
There was a moment of silence, which piqued Sakura's curiosity, so she turned to the metallic grey car. Sasuke's face had a mixture of emotions; he looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or scowl at her statement.
"What?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What are we, in kindergarten?" There was a smirk upon his face, as if he was challenging her. "I thought that at your age, you can tell the difference between good and bad."
"I would have to say you're in the latter."
He lifted his eyebrow, "And how?"
"Hmm…I really don't know," Sakura said sarcastically as she brought her hand to her chin in a thoughtful position, "Maybe it's the fact that you randomly waltzed up to a stranger and asked her to have coffee with you, or the fact that you're demanding me to get into your car. If I didn't know any better, I'd thought you were stalking me."
"You know, there are plenty of girls who would love to be in your position right now."
"Yes, of course. It's Uchiha Sasuke we're talking about here."
"Get in the car, Sakura."
"Oh so now, we're on first name's basis. Are you like this to everyone?"
"No I'm not." His answer made her lose her train of thoughts.
"What?"
"I don't act like this to anyone." The driver's door opened and Sasuke got out of the car. He opened the passenger seat and literally shoved her into the car.
"You know, I can pretty much sue you for kidnapping me, Sasuke." Sakura grumbled as she folded her arms angrily across her chest.
"I don't see you resisting." He smirked as he got into the car.
She rolled her eyes.
There was no fighting someone whom she knew she was going to lose. She knew she was stubborn, but this guy next to her, was like a wall that didn't budge. The other day's episode was proof of his personality. What perplexed her was the fact that he wanted to be her friend. She could not offer him anything in return. She could not offer her friendship to him. There were already so many complications in her life, she did not need him to be another factor in her life problems.
Five years ago, she was able to accept Itachi and Akatsuki's help. She was willing to reach out for help, so why couldn't she do it now? What was the difference? Kurenai had told that she had come a long way. She was supposed to be getting better, isn't she? So why was she reluctant to accept Uchiha Sasuke in her life?
She closed her eyes and inhaled a whip of the air that held the fragrance of the damp earth during the rain.
Kurenai's voice came back to her. "You may not know how to forgive yourself, but it's only through forgiveness will you be able to heal yourself, Sakura."
She had told Kurenai that sometimes, forgiveness wasn't enough, but in this moment, she wanted a second chance. Eyes snapped open as realization dawned her. She had always wanted a second chance. That night when she ran into Akatsuki, she could've easily evaded them, left, and ran away. However, she had stayed. She had thought it was Fate's arrangement for her to stay and live, but contemplating over it, she knew that it had been her decision. Five years ago, she left home because she wanted a new beginning to live, even if she originally claimed she wanted to die. Five years later, she was still alive because there were things in her life that kept her moving.
"You may not know how to forgive yourself, but it's only through forgiveness will you be able to heal yourself, Sakura."
She turned to face Sasuke, "Why did you talk to me?"
She watched his face, which remained impassive. There was no shift of emotions on his face as he kept his eyes on the road. At first, she thought he hadn't heard her, but then he spared her a sideways glance and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Of all the girls at Morning café and at Midori High School, why was it me that you asked for coffee? Why did you want to befriend me?"
Silence loomed, but Sakura did not drop her grim stare that was directed at him. She knew it made him uncomfortable.
He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. "You resemble the girl in Broken."
There was no shift in emotions and the tension in the air did not disperse. Her lips were shaped into thin lines and her penetrating stare did not lose its effect.
The car suddenly pulled over to the sidewalk and after Sasuke parked the car, he turned to face her.
"You looked like you wanted to cry that day."
Karin felt like the world was crumbling down on her. The rain was pouring and she was drenched cold. Nevertheless, she stood there in the middle of the streets like a lost child with eyes burning in resentment and anger. She was definitely going to catch a cold tomorrow, but it didn't matter to her.
"Isn't that Arisugaki Karin?" A female voice whispered as she ushered her boyfriend to look at her. Karin made no attempt to look directly at them.
"Nah, they're doing a live broadcast of the press conference on Broken. Plus that girl's wearing glasses. Karin has prefect vision."
Karin didn't even bother to correct them that that the conference was prerecorded, nor the fact that the tabloids lied about her vision. She stared at a small television sitting on the ledge of a nearby food stand as the footage of the Broken cast was being played for the nation to see.
"Let's turn to the lead characters, Uchiha Sasuke and Arisugaki Karin."
"Inari-kun, let's watch Broken when it comes out! I want to see if Sasuke-kun and Karin are able to reprise their chemistry after their break-up."
Inari frowned, "Didn't you just told me the other month that you didn't want to see Broken because you didn't like Karin?"
"Yepp! But after that article regarding Sasuke and that older woman, I felt sorry for her."
Karin clenched her hands. She didn't want to be pitied by the audience. She was famous through her own right, not because she was the girlfriend of Uchiha Sasuke. Perhaps it was true that she used him as a stepping stone in the entertainment industry, but she believed she had earned her right on the red carpet.
"Uchiha-san and Arisugaki-san, a lot of people have been speculating how the drama will be affected after your recent breakup. They believe that it will be harder for you to work with each other, considering the fact that you are no longer lovers. What is your opinion on this?"
Karin remembered hyperventilating in her seat when the question was posed. She was conceited and snooty, but deep down, she was an insecure woman. It was expected that this question would be brought up during the conference. In fact, she and her manager had practiced answering this question before the conference, but hearing it voiced out made her too nervous to utter a word. It was like a slap back into the reality. Karin knew then that she had been pretending all along, pretending that the break up didn't matter and that she simply didn't feel anything towards the rumors circulating around her. Karin wanted to cough up bile.
Looking at the screen now, she could see herself tensing at the question, but she took a deep breath, acknowledging the fact that she had done a good job on keeping her guise. And Sasuke, being the sensitive gentleman that he was, had held her hand to calm her down and answered the question for the both of them.
"I have perfect confidence in creating our chemistry. I believe our fans are too concerned with our breakup that they forget we are actors. We created our chemistry in Summer's Haven even before we personally knew each other and we definitely pride ourselves as actors. It is our duty to deliver a performance that will satisfy the audience and that when you're watching Broken, I hope you will think of us as the couple who found each other because of our broken past, rather than Uchiha Sasuke and Arisugaki Karin who once were lovers."
After that interview, the feeling of affection was triggered in Karin's heart. It felt like a chance. She wanted to get back with him. She had realized she loved him and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. However, before she could talk to him in private, he had left her. Karin was angry. He had left her without any acknowledgment towards her. If he didn't want anything to do with her, then why did he hold her hand in the first place?
"You know, it would be romantic if Sasuke-kun and Karin gets back together after this drama, realizing from their past that they were just meant to be."
Inari rolled his eye, "Be more realistic, Ageha. From Uchiha's last interview, he stated to the nation that he puts his acting before anything else, and he's not going to let anything affect it, even his Father's company. For a foolish dream like that, that man won't let a simple word like love affect him."
Ageha frowned as she looked at her boyfriend, "Are you the type to abandon me for your dreams?"
The boy with looped her arm around his girlfriend, "I have no grand aspirations, so you don't have to worry unless I find myself a hotter-Oww!"
Karin watched the couple walked away and for some strange reason, she found a bit of peace within her. Inari was right. Sasuke was the type that would abandon everything for his dream of becoming a world-class actor. She remembered him telling her how important it was to him and how he was willing to give up everything he had to reach it, even his father's company. It wouldn't be fair if she pulled him back. If they were to get back together, things would be even messier than what was written and Karin knew for a fact that Sasuke hated being mentioned in the tabloids. That was when she decided that she was going to support him in the background. She was going watch him rise up the world of fame and wait for him to come back to her when he was ready. Then they would get back together and live happily ever after.
Too bad Arisugaki Karin never took Haruno Sakura into account of her plan.
They ended up in the back corner a coffee shop on the top floor of a building in Maruouchi. True to its reputation of being in one of the oldest business district, the coffee shop exuded class and sophistication with suave jazz music playing in the background. The air was filled with the scent of fresh pastries and coffee.
He was glad it was two-twenty, for there were few patrons in the shop. With the patrons being in their late twenties or early thirties, it seemed like they didn't recognize him. Across from him, Haruno Sakura was staring out the window that offered the perfect view of the heart of district, but he knew she was far from admiring the prospect.
He should really be annoyed at her manners. For the past week, she had been absentminded, almost to the point where it was unnerving and dangerous. He had watched her spaced out in class, staring absently at her work for an hour. She didn't even notice when a girl had purposely bumped into her. She seemed so lifeless that Sasuke almost wished that she went back to being defensive and insolent. He had wanted to talk some sense into her, but he was whisked away by his work schedule: missing class to film scenes, preparing for the press conference, and attending scheduled photo shoots.
The climate had taken a sudden turn as the heavens were now grumbling, sending flashes of light every few minutes along with a howling of the wind. Sasuke took a sip of his espresso and stared at her. Even with makeup, her sallow features weren't fully covered. Hey eyes were dull and filled with misery, compared to its usual fiery intensity. Deciding that leaving her alone would be for the best, Sasuke picked up his script and started studying his lines.
Naoki: Let's talk about who or what made you run to America.
He paused. There was something about this line that seemed to pull him in, as if nagging him to uncover its underlying meaning. He felt as if he had heard this line before, be he couldn't pinpoint where he had heard it.
Naoki: Let's talk about who or what made you run to America.
He frowned at the single line.
Who or what made you run to America.
"Are you okay?"
He looked up to find Sakura staring at him, eyes filled with concern despite her tired features. There was no longer wariness and distrust in her voice. Instead, it was filled with genuine concern.
Sasuke nodded wordlessly and flipped the pages of the booklet close.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you," she said guiltily, as if she was feeling responsible for taking time away from his work.
He fought the urge to sigh. Seriously, this woman was as maddening when she was polite as when she was defensive.
"Patience, Sasuke. Patience." It was a phrase Itachi told him often as a child.
Sasuke took another sip of his espresso and the answer came to him. His eyes changed.
"Let's talk about who or what made you run to America."
Sakura stiffened.
Author's note: Yes, this fic is alive! K. Tram is definitely still breathing! I have not abandoned this story and since I'm on summer break, I'll update this story every Saturday. Because of my weekly updates, the chapters will be unbeta'd until AnimeSiren gets around editing them. Thanks for being patient and sticking with me. Until next Saturday!
+K. Tram~
Publication: 06.01.13