A/N: Day twenty-two. Once again, subtly and hastily re-edited and re-uploaded because I lost track of time.
Time Skip - Three Years
She frowns as she walks into the kitchen, tired and sore from Team Yamaneko's spontaneously annual training session of hell. Her brothers follow until they're at the dining table, feeling the same as her. Shisui thought it would be fun, but only for him it would seem. Though he's reluctant to consider them his equals, he's begrudgingly admitted so but is still adamant in treating them like his own little monsters.
"Stop fondling your breasts, Sakura." Neji snaps at her, his voice cracking when saying her name. It's been a pleasant experience for her since their voices started breaking, but at the moments she's not really in the mood to be amused by it. She squints at him, and he glares at her in return.
She hums, tilting her head and refusing to listen. "I'm massaging them, otouto. Because they hurt, mostly from you punching one of them." admittedly, it wasn't his intention but she had repaid such an action by punching him through a tree. It brings a slight smile to her face.
Sai's smile widens and Neji directs his glare over to his brother instead. "It was amusing to witness." he comments, casually dodging a kunai thrown his way by tilting his head.
"I didn't mean it!" their brother hisses, his ears reddening both in shame and annoyance. "It was an accident and you both know it!" which is unnecessary because they already know that Neji would never punch her in the tit like that. Shisui would, no doubt. He's done it to Tsunade and they've been shown the site of the battle that had followed.
It's really quite a devastation to look at, so they're lucky that Shisui decided to pick a fight outside of Konoha. She still wants to know what they have against each other, though.
Sakura begin to prepare breakfast, content to let her siblings argue amongst each other about foul moves and the like. She thinks that she'll have to go visit Sasuke soon, since he's been sending her creepy letters that express how much he's dying inside and wishes to see her. He also sends flowers, particularly yellow tsubaki ones that mean longing in flower language. She doesn't know how he knows that.
She's also been getting more packages from Gaara over the past two… maybe three years as well. It's probably because she's been responding to most of them, so he seems to have taken it upon himself to send a bunch of glass sculptures on occasion.
Although once, she found an eyeball amongst the sculptures once. It smelled terrible, since it had been rotting there for a while. Coincidentally, the sculpture had been some kind of eyeball monster he saw from a book once.
She wonders if he has any friends, since he mentions people in his letters but never reveals any actions to implicate friendship. He has stated that he views her as his friend, since Temari had suggested they were such a thing. Sakura isn't sure herself, but she doesn't mind all that much if so.
Naruto sends letters sometimes as well, when he has the time. She doesn't respond to them, only because it wouldn't get to him anyway with how much he and Jiraiya move around. He seems to be learning how to spy among other things, which doesn't sound all that bad. He'd be really good at information gathering.
He should be coming back soon actually, so she hopes that she's not on a mission by the time he gets back.
"Is Tenten-san coming over today?" Sai questions her, and from the corner of her eye she can see Neji twitch at the name. "Or is she busy killing herself from the stress of being Tsunade-sama's apprentice?"
She and Tenten have kept in contact, which is nice since she had expected them to drift even though they agreed to be friends. Though Tenten won't be able to achieve some of the most advanced medical ninjutsu because of her chakra control, she's still become a formidable battle-orientated medic nin in Sakura's opinion. It's been stressing Tenten out though, since Tsunade's also been stressed from fixing Konoha.
Father might be in trouble if he and his business partner aren't able to maintain their unseen underground business, but she's not too worried since it would seem that Orochimaru's come into play. The snake Sannin will be able to make sure Tsunade doesn't upheave the roots, one way or another.
"I doubt she'll kill herself, though she's been thinking about it in a non-alarming manner. I'll be meeting her at Yakiniku Kyuu around lunch time." she replies, cracking some eggs over the frying pan. She glances at Neji with a knowing smile, who's already scowling at her. "You're free to join, if you'd like."
"Ah, that is right." Sai chuckles. "It would appear that there is some tension between the two of you. It is quite the interesting development, right Sakura-neesama?"
Sakura laughs as she hears their brother growling. "Yes, well. Tenten's not as tolerable of our otouto's blunt and scathing words as we are. She also doesn't appreciate it when either of you tell her what she's doing wrong in such a rude manner." she replies with a fond sort of amusement.
Tenten and her brothers have a… well, an almost love/hate relationship, more so with Neji than Sai. It's amusing, most of the time. She just thinks it's nice to have a female to talk to, since there seems to be a different tone that is still pleasant. Especially a female whom has a generally amicable personality and respectable skill in her abilities.
Neji huffs whilst Sai remains unperturbed. One of Kakashi's ninken runs down the hallway, its footfalls not too loud nor too quiet. Another two follow, with one yelling in their language to quit being annoying. They ignore it, since it's such a normal occurrence.
She puts their breakfast on plates, before going to prepare her own cereal for breakfast. They stand to retrieve their food, like nice brothers.
She finds herself a little bemused, since the smile that she's received is almost too blinding and emotive that it's started to disturb her. That's probably because such an expression is so bizarre on a face that she's familiar with, especially one that shouldn't be able to express such emotion. It's like the laughing incident all over again.
"Hey… Sasuke." she greets him, leaning back when she notices how close he is and how tall he's gotten since she last saw him. His hair is still that spiky, fluffy mess though. "Stop smiling at me like that."
Sasuke listens, although not entirely as his amicable smile still remains. The warmth in his eyes is the most unsettling part, she thinks, because it's far stronger than she remembers it to be. "You've become more radiant since I last saw you." he tells her, and the unusual deepness of his voice makes her uncomfortable. He really is like his brother. Just less… psychotic and a little more fluffy and personality stunted.
She blinks at him. "Yeah, I could say the same about you." she replies, although with far less adoration in her voice. He's become prettier, in a more masculine manner at least. He's stopped wearing those dark bandages, instead wearing dark arm bands that seem to double as fingerless gloves. The sleeves of his shirt are tucked into them and she wonders how comfortable that is.
His eyes brighten at her words. "Have you ended your dalliance with Shikamaru yet?" he queries, stepping closer and invading her space again.
Sakura steps back with a perplexed frown. "No. He and I are still together." much to everyone's surprise. Although, people seem to be more surprised that they haven't gone any further than the occasional peck on the lips. She doesn't seem to have much in the way of a libido, and Shikamaru has expressed that he's not too worried about it since he's just glad she's still with him. So it's still much of a spiritual romance than anything else.
She doesn't think he'll ever stop worrying about her looking at someone else the way she looks at him. Some part of her finds that endearing, whilst another is also worried about hurting him because of that possibility.
The Uchiha scowls, his apparent high mood plummeting down into the dark depths. He clicks his tongue as he looks to the side. "That bastard…" he mutters, making her wonder who the hell's been teaching him how to be human.
They're good, because she really sees some form of personality in him at the moment. It still weirds her the hell out, but it's an immense amount of progress. It feels a little off, though, probably just because he's an Uchiha.
"Anyway, stop sending me flowers and let's go meet Naruto." she states, turning around and already making her way out of the Uchiha compound. Her brothers are waiting outside, since they don't particularly enjoy being inside the compound. It's understandable, considering the residents. She's not completely used to it, but she's got a better tolerance.
She hears the door to Sasuke's house close, before he jogs to catch up to her. "Did you like them?" he asks once he's walking beside her, once again without the eerie monotone that she's become accustomed to.
"I did, more so than the letters." is her honest reply, since his letters don't seem to have changed along with his new demeanour. Perhaps it's more of a performance, like how Shion does it. That would be more reassuring, actually. "I still don't understand why I'm so important to you."
"Itachi-nii told me that you would be the only one worthy of me. I agree with him." he answers, his monotone abruptly back in full force as his expression matches his voice. She squints at him, rather confused with how he works as a being. "He never explained how, just that I had to work it out for myself. At first it was a goal to not disappoint him, but that's long since changed. I want you to be my wife, to build a legacy with me because I want to and not just because Itachi-nii said."
Sakura stops, turning to face him fully as his blank slate of a personality has returned. He has no expression, but his eyes gleam with certain sense of sincerity that's less intense in warmth but not in general.
"My teachers have all told me that someone such as you wouldn't be interested in me as I am. So I've tried to change for you… I've tried to become more human for you." his brow furrows, his eyes sliding from her eyes to her nose instead. "I don't want to admit that I might never be able to achieve that. I don't want to accept the possibility that perhaps it'll be you and Shikamaru."
She doesn't need this heartfelt confession, she thinks with a small amount of distress funnelling into her system. "I'm sorry." she apologises, meeting his eyes once more when they return back to hers. "I'm sorry that I couldn't accept you as you are, that I can't see a future between us in the way you want. It might happen, of course. Feelings change, after all… but I doubt it at the moment."
His frown becomes a little more upsetting, which really makes her uncomfortable. She steps forward, initiating a hug which is immediately reciprocated. She tries not to let that weird her out.
"You don't have to pretend to have a lively personality, it creeps me out far more than your usual creepy self." she remarks with a short-lived chuckle, feeling him squeeze her just the slightest. "You should do it to Naruto when we see him though, freak him out a little."
They release each other, and she's not all that discomforted to see the mild smile on his face.
"I'm glad you think so." he replies. "It's annoying and exhausting to put so much effort into forcing my emulated emotions to the surface… Does this make you uncomfortable?" he murmurs in question when he leans forward and tucks the hair framing her face behind her ear.
She's sure her expression gives him the answer that yes, it does. "If you turn into your brother, I'm going to wreck you." she promises, because she has confidence that she can beat Sasuke down. Itachi's just someone she doesn't want to even try fighting. He'd probably enjoy it in some kind of kinky fashion and she's just rather not test it.
Sasuke blinks, before his smile widens in realisation. "We've made progress." he whispers, his eyes alight with wonder as he resumes walking. He continues to whisper to himself, and she stares after him for a moment.
"I think he means the tone in your relationship has become something a little less straining, yeah." Shion inputs, which is actually rather helpful. "Still a fucking weirdo though, Jesus lord. He's the kind of fucknut that you become reluctantly fond of, like an ugly puppy that constantly bangs into walls."
Sakura thinks that she can agree with that, although she's still unable to really figure him out and how his head works.
When she spots Naruto, Jiraiya and Haku ̶ whom she mostly forgot about ̶ she takes special notice of the way that Naruto's aura of cool and charismatic has become worryingly immense. His eyes are lowered as he runs a gloved hand through his unruly bangs, and she attempts to curb the reaction to laugh in mild hysteria.
He glances at a passing woman, then flashes her a charming smile. When the woman becomes fluttered, Sakura inevitably erupts in laughter and draws his immediate attention.
"Sakura-chan!" he exclaims, and she knows that he's already speeding towards her. She manages to take a calming breath, trying ignore the fact that Naruto really is too much of an existence. He belongs in a book, converting all the villains and irritable teammates into his allies all the while.
His clothes haven't really changed, just become larger to fit his growing body. She wonders who made them during his journey, but pushes the thought away to accept the hug he gives her.
"Damn, Sakura-chan." he whistles by her ear, swaying a little before releasing her and stepping back to fully examine her. She's basically done what he has, by upsizing her clothing and adding a few things here and there. "You've gone from cute to hot."
She gives him a sardonic smile, as her brothers bristle and Sasuke twitches from the corner of her eyes. "You've ascended, I see." she replies, though she doesn't expect him to really understand. "How many people have you saved and how many of them have noticeable crushes on you?"
Naruto's gives her a devious grin, touching a lock of his hair. It's rather photo worthy. Would she be able to get money for taking pictures and selling them? "I lost count after a while. They kept thinking that Haku and I had something going on." he replies, glancing over at Haku who's finished conversing with the toad Sannin and has begun approaching them. Said toad Sannin flashes her a grin before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Even though he should be near twenty and become more masculine, Haku still looks incredibly effeminate. He also looks rather nice as he scowls at her, having seen her particular smile that's mostly meant for him.
"I thought that you did." Sasuke comments, with a smug smirk that's still convincing even if she knows it's not real. His best friend snaps his gaze over to Sasuke, with an expression that clearly says he's creeped out. It's probably because of the body language, since Sasuke's usually so rigid.
"The fuck happened to him?" Naruto questions her, prompting her to laugh in response. "Holy shit, what have they done to you Sasuke?"
Sasuke then immediately drops the act, in a rather disconcerting fashion. "My teachers had advised me on how to emulate a personality, then Sakura asked me to use it on you since you would find it unnerving." he replies, giving a slow blink before a small smile forms. "It's nice to see you again."
Naruto grins, and she realises that they really do have such a strange bromance as Shion had described. She looks over to Haku, who doesn't seem to be very pleased with their interaction.
"Made any progress, Haku-san?" she queries, smiling when he narrows his eyes at her. Then he attempts to wipe his expression from his face. He hasn't learned at all, she muses.
She thinks that's especially true when he opts to ignore her rather than responding. He'll crack, she knows it.
Sometimes, when Sakura sleeps she finds herself in a nightmare. It's not hers, since it belongs to Shion sometimes their minds are connected during sleep. Although Shion believes that it's more of a dream, rather than a nightmare because of how often they occur. It's been happening ever since that experiment.
It's nearly always in an open field like now. There are always fireflies, dyed a crimson as lanky humanoid corpses of grey trudge about. They are aimless, without sight but with an open and gaping mouth that moans their agony and sorrow.
It's always night, the stars closer and brighter than what would usually be possible. The galaxies are up there as well, like a constant reminder.
When she walks around, the remains of animals crunch and snap under her feet. Their corpses look as though they've all died from starvation, and the ants feast upon what remains. Sometimes, there are baby animals.
They're so tiny, still alive as they squirm about and mewl in pain. The ants tear them apart, without remorse.
When she finds a river, the water is unsettlingly black. It beckons her, wanting her to step into its depths to be dragged down and drown. Every so often, a rotting head bops up to the surface and its empty eye sockets show an unbearable loathing at nothing in particular. Then a dark, skeletal hand reaches up and brings the severed heads back down.
Rarer so, is when she finds Shion amongst all the torment of the nightmare. Shion is always encased in a garnet crystal, curled into a foetal position as she sleeps. Shion's still cracked and broken, the shattered pieces of her form frozen with her.
Sakura doesn't touch the crystal, as her instincts tell her that something would go terribly wrong if she does.
Something new has happened though, as there's a figure cloaked in white that has an ethereal glow to them. She's unsure of whether or not to approach them when they stand by Shion's crystal, but her decision is made when the figure notices her.
It's masculine, she thinks despite the fact that their eyes are concealed by the cloak. It's probably from the jawline, and she's met men with ridiculously long and luscious hair before so that's not alarming. She doesn't think they're human though, but she wonders why they're there.
"Who are you, little one?" they ask, with something indecipherably strange about their voice. She frowns at them.
She tilts her head, deciding whether to answer or not. "Who are you?" she responds instead, because really they're invading both hers and Shion's space and it's rude to demand her name first.
Their lips tilt down into a frown, before they look back over to Shion. "I cannot say, not to you. I have come to retrieve Malum Grande, but it would appear that…" they sound melancholic, regretful. "I have taken too long to find you… Would you hate me if I brought you back…?"
Sakura feels confused sink into every part of her mind. "What's a Malum Grande?" she asks, feeling strange because it's so foreign on her tongue. How does he know their language, she wonders?
"I cannot tell you, little one. I am sorry." they touch the crystal, and it seems to resonate in response. "Look after them in my absence… I must fix what has been broken."
Then Sakura wakes up and wonders what the actual hell that's all about.
Chapter Word Count: 3,365
Total Word Count: 72,188
Targeted Word Count: 0
A/N: Some trivia here, is that the last bit is actually from an amalgamation of my dreams lately. I wanted to skip to Gaara and whatever, but I got distracted playing Pokemon Sun and had to super rush through the chapter. The bit about the dead animals and ants has been happening in my dreams. First it was dogs, then cats and then birds. Hopefully, Malum Grande actually means what I intended for it to mean. Otherwise, goddamn it.
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