Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
23rd April 2032, Roads of San Francisco, Vehicle of Sasuke Uchiha
It was a matter of great surprise to Sasuke that he had only realised that his arm was better after the crazy doctor asked him about his arm. That did not mean he had missed the great relief he felt and the soothing effect he had when Sakura had dressed his wound. He had dismissed it at the time becoming distracted with other things. But he knew for a fact that the good doctor had not 'misdiagnosed' his injury.
As he mulled over it in his head while driving home, he realised she had healed him without her own knowledge. She was supposed to be able to do it, but why was she not aware of what she was doing? He had one conclusion: Sakura had no idea who or what she was, or what she could do. Which affected their plans considerably.
It was unnerving how easily he had spoken to her when they ate together. It felt familiar. Which was nonsense considering how, as she had later stated, they knew nothing about each other. Or at least, she knew nothing about him.
Then there was the whole matter of his reaction when she kissed him. What impulse moved him to act like that? Both in Dr Tsunade's house and outside the Hyuga mansion. Was he developing any emotions for her? He laughed mirthlessly at the idea. Admitted, she may be a sincere person, but her only use to him was as a means to an end. Yes, his reaction must have been one of lust. He thought back to the first time she appeared in his sleep...even then he had found her to be breathtaking- gentle and soft. She was an attractive woman. He had merely acted out of desire.
Right?
Such was his internal argument as he made his way home. His treacherous conscience was persistent in trying to prove him wrong. Not that he allowed himself room to doubt himself. At least, not that much room.
When he finally reached his apartment and walked into his bedroom, he found all lights off. A lone candle lit the room dimly. Sasuke identified the man sitting in his armchair to be his usual late night visitor.
Before he could speak, the man shrouded in shadows spoke. "A child escaped today. Two men died in the retrieval efforts."
Sasuke had figured as much. When Yuki first appeared before them, he had had his doubts, but when he realised she had armed men in pursuit, he knew that she was more than a mere street orphan. He did not know the experimental test subjects by face, but he was smart enough to realise that Yuki was most likely from the Uchiha Corporation. Now, he had confirmation of the fact.
"She was traced to the Hyuga mansion along with an FBI agent living there. That would be Sakura." The tone of his voice was neutral, but his accusatory glare said otherwise.
If he knew that much about the whole incident, then he surely wouldn't have missed out the last detail regarding he and Sakura. He winced in anticipation for the reprimand that awaited him.
"You were seen with her." he said, making sure that Sasuke knew exactly what that sentence meant, before continuing on to say, "What on earth were you thinking Sasuke?"
Sasuke ignored him by asking, "The kid who escaped, was she important? Who was she?"
"Named Yuki. She was a clone of an almost successful experiment. The main problem would be if she remembers things and starts talking. If she's with the FBI anything she says might be a problem. It shouldn't be traced to us though- we just need to tread carefully. But don't avoid the question Sasuke, I want to hear it from you. The truth." He fixed him with a pointed look.
"The truth? I wasn't thinking! Is that satisfactory for you?!" Sasuke snapped.
The other man didn't flinch at all. When he did speak, he was still calm and collected. "It's foolish and pointless. How do you ever see this ending well?"
Sasuke had no answer to that. Arguing in his defence was just as pointless when his companion was as stubborn as a weasel. After some time, the other man said, "I'm only doing this because I don't want to see you get hurt. Don't let it go any further. Are you injured?"
Sasuke nodded reluctantly, relieved but annoyed with the change of topic. "I got burnt in the explosion. She healed me. But she has no idea what she is. Or what she can do."
"How did you get injured in the first place? With your abilities, you should have escaped. Unless...you tried to save her?"
Sasuke's silence was answer enough.
The other man shook his head exasperatedly and sighed, saying, "If she falls in love with you, great job! It'll be that much easier to bring her in when the time comes. But don't let it go both ways. From your side, stop it before it goes any further."
That left Sasuke grumbling silently as the other man left the room.
It was without much difficulty that his subconscious carried him away shortly after...but as to their destination, he could do nothing to protest.
He was knee deep in water, the wet sand underneath his feet pitch black. He found a small trail of footsteps leading off the coastline towards the cliffs. Unwittingly, he followed them out of the water, following the trail onto dry land. He may not admit it, but when his eyes swept the cliff line, he searched for a specific colour- a pale shade of cherry blossom pink.
His gaze fell on a small house next to a low cliff. The windows were dusty and the place looked deserted. Except for the trail of footprints in the layer of dust that covered the porch, and the door, which was ajar.
Hesitantly, he followed the trail of footsteps into the buildings. It was a simple house, with a homely seating arrangement opening into an adjoining kitchen. But the place looked lifeless, abandoned. As though nobody had lived there in over a decade. Deciding that nobody was downstairs, he made his way up the narrow wooden staircase. The floor creaked with every step, and he could decidedly feel the years of dust and coastal weather wearing away at it. Despite the sun being overhead outside, inside, it was dark and damp.
The footprints led him to a small room at the end of the landing. A quick look past the opened door revealed the head of pink hair he subconsciously sought after.
She was kneeling on the floor. Her white robes were spread out on the floor, her hair cascading down her back. The room was lit by several luminescent orbs, hanging suspended in the air. In their pale red glow, the room appeared bathed in blood.
Walking inside, he saw the object of her attention. A large canvas spread out in front of her, and her gaze seemed to fix on it. An abstract painting, he recognised the central theme; a cherry tree.
"Who-?" the half formed question died on his lips as she spoke.
"This is the last gift I received from him." her eyes were closed, but her demeanor was calm and serene.
He realised she was talking about her brother, but as far as she knew, he did not know about that.
"Why do you bring me here?" he asked, voicing a question that had been on his mind for quite some time. "This house, this beach. The same place. Why here?"
She turned towards him, her eyes opening to reflect an array of emotions. He saw the melancholy anguish in her eyes, which were vivid as windows to her soul.
"This is where I once found myself in a blissful peace and a new life. And this was where I lost everything I once held dear to me."
"Your brother." he said in an undertone.
She looked up at him, rising to her feet as she walked closer to him until she looked up into his eyes a mere inches from his face. His mind involuntarily strayed to her lips, and he found himself remembering how soft and sweet they tasted when he captured them earlier.
"I lost my brother..." she started, softly, before adding, her voice barely above a whisper, "...I lost you too..."