Cold

Wet

Pain

My vision shifted from blurring to focusing in quick succession as I blinked. I kneeled on the ground somewhere dark, someplace damp. The sound of dripping echoed resoundingly around me, bouncing off the walls of what appeared to be a cave. I looked down, finding a frightening amount of red liquid coating my body.

Fear and anger bubbled up inside of me and I clenched my fists. A pointless attempt to tame the raging emotions inside. A sharp stinging sensation forced itself upon me and I yelped from the sudden prickling. Catching sight of shuriken in my hand, I was entranced as it glistened with a rich edge of pride within bloodstained metallic tones.

The next wave of pain hit and I dropped it from my hand, disgusted as it clattered noisily to the ground. My unwounded hand rose up to my chest and clawed at the panic settling heavily inside my lungs. I struggled to regulate my breathing.

"...let..."

My body tensed as the last syllable bounced around inside my head and off the cave walls. Hearing someone address me by that, that name, a name I haven't heard in such a long time. A small, watery smile pulled at my lips.

As I turned my gaze to meet them, an overwhelming sense of anticipation and belonging filled me.

An alarm blared, wrenching me from my slumber and pulling me back into reality. The intense light shining on my face made my head throb with pain, and I couldn't help the quiet groan that slipped out. I brought my hands to my head, rolled over on my side, and burrowed deep beneath a blanket. Once the pain subsided, I carefully blinked my eyes open to help them adjust and slowly pulled the blanket back down from over my head.

I was laying on a large, king-sized bed with black sheets and a blue comforter on top. Directly ahead of me was a horizontal sliding window, the curtains opened up and fastened on either side. A long dresser-bookshelf-TV stand combination stood just level with the bottom of the window.

Where... am I?

I rolled over onto my other side, reaching out to turn off the increasingly angering alarm. It rested atop a nightstand beside a short red lamp. Next to the nightstand was yet another dresser, pushed up next to it - scrolls and books piled atop.

A glimpse of red and white pulled my attention to the wall that the bed was pushed up against.

The Uchiha crest.

"What's happened to you?"

Sasuke...

I let out a deep sigh, spotting my bag and ninja sandals on the floor next to the bed. My headband rested on top of the bag. I ran my fingers through my hair anxiously, cringing as they caught knots. After sliding out of and making Sasuke's bed, I walked over to the open bathroom door, snatching the strap of my bag as I passed by. A set of clothes and a blue toothbrush, still in its packaging, rested on the sink counter next to a neatly folded red towel. A matching washcloth had been laid over the edge of the tub. I twisted my lips, briefly pondering my predicament.

I made quick work on brushing the knots from my hair using a comb I kept packed in my bag. Making the most of my time, I brushed my teeth as I showered, hot water cranked to the max. While the grey, high collared shirt that Sasuke set out for me was created to fit a larger physique, I preferred and enjoyed the looser fit. It was comforting.

I was surprised to discover the Uchiha crest on the back of it after I unfolded it.

That makes sense, though...

The shorts were snug around my hips, but they had enough stretch that they weren't uncomfortable or digging into my skin. As soon as I arrived in this body, Sakura's diet plan was thrown in the trash and I emphasized gaining some weight and building up muscle tone. Having towel-dried my hair to prevent it from dripping all over the floor and soaking the back of the shirt, I stared at the deodorant on the counter. I briefly considered whether the Uchiha boy would mind me using it before I reached out and uncapped it, making a few quick swipes on my underarms. I walked out of his room and down a staircase, following the sounds of distant sizzling and chopping.

Sasuke was leaning over a long counter in the kitchen, chopping what looked like green onions. I didn't know what to think or feel as I watched the Uchiha boy preparing breakfast for two, evidenced by the two large plates with matching utensils. They were resting on the counter to the right of the stovetop, where a medium-sized skillet was cooking what smelled to be eggs. I sat down on one of the pillows that laid on the floor next to a low, traditional Japanese table. I observed the rest of the kitchen quietly, waiting for Sasuke to finish. There were plenty of cabinets, limited countertop space, and a bizarre refrigerator with three horizontal doors.

I noticed something sticking out from the top of the fridge and got to my knees, pushing my hands against the table as I leaned in closer over it in order to get a better look. A picture frame with cracked glass laid face down. I could only make out half of a smaller Sasuke. His eyes wide with child-like wonder and joy, a bright grin adorning his face. I noticed a small hole in the wall, about the size of a nail, a foot above the fridge top.

It must have fallen out of the wall at some point... Is it a family photo?

Fugaku, Mikoto, and Itachi's faces flashed through my mind and I pursed my lips.

"You're awake." Sasuke spoke suddenly, startling me out of my memories. I turned to the boy and quickly leaned back down to sit on my legs, tucking my feet in beneath me. He held two steaming plates in his hands as he walked over, placing one down on the table in front of me and the other directly across. He glanced over at the fridge, spotting what drew my attention. A frown tugged at his lips and a curse rang through my mind. He walked back to the counter and grabbed two glasses of ice water.

"Thank you." I replied quietly, my voice feeling a bit rough from the abuse it endured the night before. Clearing my throat, I reached over and grabbed the glass of water, swiftly drinking the cool liquid down.

We ate quietly, the only sounds to be heard were those of our chopsticks hitting plates, slow chewing, and the birds chirping outside. When we finished eating I rose up and collected our dishes. I walked the stack to the sink and began to wash them. He had shown me unusually thoughtful hospitality and I felt obligated to help him clean up. I couldn't help but think,

Why didn't you just dump me at the hospital?

"So, would you like to explain why I found you freezing to death at the training grounds in the middle of the night." Sasuke said flatly as he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the counter next to me. An expectant look on his face. While it was clearly a question, it came across more like a demand for answers.

"I was training with elemental chakra." I said, wiping down a plate with a wet, soapy sponge, meeting and holding his gaze. "And maybe, perhaps there were some miscalculations on my part."

Can't avoid answering him forever, I guess.

"Elemental chakra?" He echoed, his eyebrows scrunching in curiosity. He leaned closer to me.

"Yes, I believe I have an affinity for water-style, as you do for fire-style."

"How did it go wrong?" Sasuke questioned further, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Flashbacks from the night before ran like reels of tape through my mind.

I had unintentionally created a sort of a suicidal water-prison technique, similar to Zabuza's but not quite the same. Closer to Kisame's technique when he killed himself with his sharks, I think? I still haven't grasped exactly how chakra works, even with the advantage of the time I spent reading and watching the series, acquiring knowledge. It was all surface knowledge. I didn't understand how to dispel my own Jutsu or properly execute higher-level chakra Jutsu, as evidenced by the night before. It was frustrating, being so weak. Empathy began to swell in my heart at the memory of a young, pink-haired child training tirelessly, alone in a dense forest.

Useless... Is this how-

"Sakura?"

Sasuke grabbed the thoroughly sudsy plate from my hands and rinsed it off, a drying towel already ready in his free hand. I worked on washing the next plate, an embarrassed flush creeping up my neck. A scowl formed on my lips.

"I got trapped inside of a sphere of water that I created with my chakra." Surprise flittered across his expression.

"You managed to get out." Sasuke pointed out.

Hands over my chest.

Lips on mine, forcing air into my lungs.

Water and vomit burning through my throat.

Dark eyes.

"Yeah." I replied weakly as I handed the next plate to him, forcing my trembling hands to steady so that he would not see my anxiety. Next, I worked on the skillet. Pride forbade me admitting to the Uchiha boy that I almost died, that I had to be rescued by a faceless stranger who brought me back to life. Based on my condition when he found me, I think it should have been obvious to him.

"I get the feeling that I'll have to start watching you as closely as I do that idiot." Sasuke sighed, eyes closing as he brought a hand up to his head in exasperation. As his words weighed heavily on my chest, guilt and pain surged up my spine, and I stared blankly out the window at his expansive backyard to conceal my hurt. Squirrels chased each other around the yard, up and down trees, quarreling for fun in the sunshine.

...

"What you said to me that day, during the bell test..." A forced tone, irritated glance, and a bit of a sigh characterized Sasuke's start as he wiped the skillet down with the towel a bit more aggressively.

That day...

"I'm your teammate. I will always support you in your goals and help you reach them however I can."

"I can also be your friend and listen if you want me to."

"It goes both ways." As he spoke, he turned his back to me and hung the skillet inside a cupboard filled with various other hanging pots and pans.

"What?" In shock at his words, I fumbled with the utensils and accidentally dropped them. My recovery was rapid as I scooped them back up in my hand before they hit the water and scrubbed at them.

"The Sakura that I knew back at the Academy isn't the same, and you'd have to be as dull as Naruto not to notice that." He rolled his eyes as he walked back over to stand next to me.

Does he know? I fought to keep my expression neutral as a cold sweat broke on my forehead.

"Oh?" I replied evenly, urging him to keep talking.

"The Sakura that I know wouldn't take the risks that you have, or trained as hard as you do. You look different, act different and talk differently. You're openly kind to the idiot now." Sasuke explained, taking the now-clean utensils from my hand. "Something happened that completely changed your personality. Your goals have changed."

I dried my hands on the hand towel hanging from the handle of the oven, listening to his observations in silence. It was unspoken that Sasuke wanted to know what had happened to his Sakura. Whether he had gathered that his Sakura was no more, or if something had just happened to change her... Well, I wasn't sure on those specifics.

'The Sakura that I knew' his words repeated in my head.

Has he... always watched her?

I walked over to the table and sat down.

"When did you gather enough information to know that something allegedly happened?" I questioned the Uchiha boy, who resumed his seat across from me, observing his features with careful regard. His arms crossed over his chest defensively, noticing my scrutiny.

"After you started moping on our missions and stopped hanging all over me." Sasuke looked off to the side as he finished. A smile cracked on my face.

"Are you saying you miss it?" I teased, propping my elbows on the table as I leaned in closer to him. His eyebrow twitched.

"No." Sasuke answered firmly. I raised my own brow, somehow doubting it. As annoying as having girls lurking around you all the time, waiting to pounce at the first sign of attention, I had a hard time believing that he didn't miss the ego boost that surely came with it. That even he, the reserved, don't-give-a-fuck Sasuke Uchiha, enjoyed some attention. With the lacking in family support and validation, I wouldn't be surprised if the slightest of the cheers of his fan club helped push him on to becoming the number one rookie in his class more than he realized.

Well, that and the obvious goal of revenge.

"The fact that you are at my house, slept in my bed, you're in my clothes..." With a small sigh, I rested my chin in my left hand and feigned that my battered fingernails were more interesting than the truth he spoke. He was right. If Sakura had experienced these things, at this age, she would be ecstatic and trying to kiss the poor boy.

You bastard. Is that why you were being so kind and hospitable? You wanted to test a theory you had? Smart.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you, Sasuke."

"Try me."

I shook my head slightly, more to myself than him. Don't fall for it. It will bring you trouble. I looked back up to meet his dark, onyx eyes, watching me with curiosity, and dare I assume a hint of worry.

This isn't like the way he was in the series, was it? But really... What do I have to lose? Even if I made it out of this world, there's no guarantee that my body is still well and alive, on the other side.

"I tell you what..." I started slowly, heartbeat thudding in my chest from the nerves. "When you awaken your Sharingan, I'll tell you. But you have to swear to me, you won't tell anyone else. Not Sensei. Not even the Hokage. Do you understand me?"

Then you will see that I'm telling you the truth.

"My Sharingan?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "How do you know about the Sharingan?"

"You would have to be as dense as Naruto not to know the legendary prowess of the great Uchiha clan." I sampled the words he spoke not long ago, offering up a smile as Sasuke looked down through the table, a distant gleam in his eyes. I reached my hand out, pinky finger stretched out.

"Deal?" I questioned, using his distractedness against him to urge the end of this conversation before he got any smarter.

Sasuke regarded my pinky as if it offended him for a long moment. He eventually rolled his eyes, hesitantly bringing his own pinky up to hook it with my own.

"Deal." He grumbled, only allowing me two shakes before he unhooked his finger from mine.

"Excellent! Now then, I should probably head home and take care of my chores." I pushed myself up from the table, straightening up the pillow seat. "I'll wash these clothes when I get home and return them to you at the end of the day if that's okay. I'd rather avoid questions from Naruto and Sensei."

"We'll train together tonight." Sasuke said, standing up as well and shoving his hands in his pockets as he closed his eyes in his typical young signature pose.

"Oh, we will, huh?" I questioned, staring with wonder at him and his abrupt and demanding statement.

"It would be annoying if my new teammate accidentally drowned themselves." He scoffed, turning away from me and walking out of the kitchen. "My strong fire style should be able to counter whatever weak water style you conjure up."

Drowning or burning to a crisp, how would you prefer to die tonight?

"That's a great point!" I laughed nervously, following him up the stairs back to his bedroom. I scooped up the handle to my bag in one hand and rested it on my forearm, using the other to grab my headband. I tied it carefully around my neck, hair still too wet to fasten it atop my head.

"I'll walk you out." Sasuke muttered, leading us back down the stairs and through a couple of hallways. As we passed the sliding doors to the backyard that had been left open, I admired a quick glimpse of beautiful flowers ranging in all colors and heights, as well as a pond with rocks of varying sizes bordering it decoratively. Freshly pulled weeds littered the outskirts of the backyard, up against the tall stone walls that kept it private. A crow rested on the edge of a roof tile, and I shivered at the sight of it, pushing down memories from the night before.

He still tends to his mother's garden.

"I can see why you offered to walk me." I remarked a few minutes later as we walked down another path filled with dozens of buildings, Uchiha crests carved or hung on the majority of them. "It's like a maze here."

"Hn." Sasuke replied with a simple, short response.

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Why I chose to continue living in the Uchiha compound?" Sasuke guessed, bitterness in his tone, but I understood that it wasn't directed towards me.

"Yeah." I said quietly, my gaze being pulled to a particular house with bloodstains splattered on a window.

"To remind me that I'm an avenger."

"Do you..." I paused, licking my bottom lip nervously as I debated whether I should ask or not. "Ever think about cleaning it up?"

Sasuke was quiet for a moment as he followed my gaze.

"I don't know if I can." He admitted. My chest tightened as anger and a sense of protectiveness clouded my emotions.

Why the fuck didn't the Hokage have it cleaned. The least he could do...

The conversation fell silent at that as I observed the leftover evidence of tragedy and disaster from the Uchiha's darkest night in Konoha. Sasuke looked a little pale, as though my question and our walk through the streets brought back memories of his past. I felt guilty for bringing it up.

He probably takes the rooftops these days.

I stopped in my tracks abruptly. Sasuke turned around and stared at me blankly, and I could see the cold sweat that had broke on his forehead despite the coolness of early morning still gracing the air. I stepped close to him, testing his boundaries. He stood firm, a curious look forming in his eyes the closer I got.

"You should come with me today." Excitement slipped into my tone as a plan formed in my mind. The cause of tightness in my chest had switched from anger to anxiety. I wasn't sure if he would reject my offer.

"What?" Sasuke questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Tag!" I exclaimed, placing my hand on his head. I ruffled up his spikes and pulled his headband off his head in one swift movement before I quickly turned on my heel and pumped chakra into my feet, jumping up into the air and onto a nearby rooftop.

Without pause, I flung myself back up into the air again, hearing the distinctive tap sound of Sasuke's ninja sandals hitting the rooftop behind me. The feeling of something slipping through the ends of my damp hair caused a fresh course of adrenaline to surge through my stomach, and the feeling of being chased pushed me to hasten my pace.

Where's the tallest building around here?

I had gotten better at finding my way around the village, all the missions around town helped. I still struggled sometimes, but luckily I had memorized how far Sakura's house was from the tallest building in the village. Strange way to find a home, sure. But it worked.

And what do you know, the Uchiha clan's compound really isn't that far from the Hokage's office.

"Sakura!" Sasuke growled through gritted teeth behind me, catching the strap of my bag. I yelped, frightened by the unexpected contact. I let myself get distracted a second too long.

"Shit." I twisted my upper body carefully and managed to untangle the strap from around my shoulder just in time to leap away from Sasuke's other outstretched hand. Discovering that I had leaped down towards a busy street, I spotted a light post in time to grab the pole and use momentum to swing back up into the air and over to the rooftop across the street from Sasuke. The moment I landed, I was back in the air, and I continued zigzagging as I traveled from rooftops to light poles and tree branches.

"Get back here!" Sasuke yelled, appearing in front of me in a flash, hand reaching out for me again. He had secured my bag's strap around his shoulder, the pack resting on his right hip.

"You're not the only one who got faster thanks to the tree walking exercise!"

I flickered down to the streets, losing him in the crowd of people, hearing their hushed whispers, disapproving sighs, and exclamations of surprise as they parted in order to avoid being run into. When I finally cut through the crowd to the edge of the path, I took a shortcut through the alley by my house.

"Gotta catch me first~" I sang, sliding to a stop at my front door. I used my momentum again to push chakra into my legs and jump up to my bedroom balcony, sliding the door open. I made it inside of my room and fell back onto my bed, exhilarated by the win, just in time to see Sasuke's dark silhouette blocking the sun shining into my room from the balcony. I squinted, trying to make out his facial expression in the brightness. He had his left hand propped on his hip. The wind tousled through his hair and the high collar of his blue shirt.

"Sakura..."

Th-... Th-Thump.

Feeling my heart stutter and briefly pause as it struggled to make a complete beat, I shot upright and rested my hand over my heart, sucking in a deep quivering breath. A bout of dry coughs racked my body and tears prickled in the corners of my eyes as I squeezed them shut and wheezed. My ears began to ring.

"It's you." She whispered, frozen in place. She gazed up in awe and disbelief at the boy who had picked her up off the unforgiving gravel and left her lying in the dark, on that cold, hard stone bench so long ago. The worst night of her life. Her eyes glossed over as the sight of him caused memories of that dreadful night to resurface in her mind, and she soaked in the ever-fresh hurt. The confusion. The betrayal.

The regret...

"Sasuke."

I couldn't stop him then. Can I save him now?

"Sakura?" As I came back out of... whatever that was, I heard his voice again. "Are you okay?"

Sasuke had kneeled down on one knee beside my bed and placed his hand on my shoulder, shaking it gently.

"I'm..." I spoke quietly, sliding my hand up through my hair to push it back out of my face. "I'm fine. Maybe I overdid it playing tag with you so soon."

His furrowed brows did not seem so convinced of my excuse, but he didn't push back. I didn't have time to process it. I gave him a smile and offered him his headband, which he pulled from my hand slowly. Sasuke stood back up, tying it securely around his head as he looked around my room. He walked over to my desk and picked up a book.

I had forgotten to put away Sakura's journals, which I had stacked up on the desk next to the still dirt-encrusted scroll since her parents were out. I rose from the bed and peeked over his shoulder. He had grabbed one of the two cleanest journals, some new ones that I'd been working on this past month.

"Those are my notes from training. You can look in these two, but the others are off-limits." I stated, rolling the dirty scroll out a bit and placing the rest of the journals on top of it as I drew chakra into my left hand.

Poof!

"Why are they off-limits?" Sasuke asked, a disappointed tone peeking in his voice. He had already opened up my notes journal. I rolled the scroll back up as a small blush rose on my cheeks.

"Did you forget the Sakura you remember had a huge crush on you? They're childhood journals." I laughed sheepishly, tossing the scroll into the top drawer of the desk.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted in place of a real response.

"Make yourself comfortable. I have some chores around the house to catch up with, so let me know if you get bored and we can go ahead and train."

A couple of hours later, I walked back up to my room, surprised to sense that Sasuke's chakra signature was still there. I took in a breath to greet Sasuke and apologize for the wait but held it as I took in the sight of him laying on his back in my bed. He had an arm tucked behind his head. His other hand held the bottom edge of the spine of my second journal, which laid face down on his chest, rising and falling slowly with each breath he drew in. Sasuke's ninja sandals had been neatly and thoughtfully placed under the bed.

He looks... peaceful, for once.

A contrast to the anxiety I felt as I cleaned the household and overthought my role in this world and the sudden vision. The burden of calculating what could and could not be changed without dire consequences weighed heavy on my mind every day.

The hole I felt in my heart when I think of my loved ones, wondering if they were okay.

God forbid I forget them.

The traumatic memories, stirred from my near-death experience, that I felt guilty for allowing to affect me even now, here as I live in my dream world where there were people who have it so much worse.

I don't... know you, Sasuke.

I walked over and kneeled down next to the bed quietly, observing Sasuke up close for the first time. It still felt so unreal sometimes, to see these characters, these figments of a person's imagination, as living, breathing human beings. Right in front of me. Training next to me day by day. Eating lunch with me. Letting me sleep in their bed. Saving my life.

And you really don't know me, either.

A breeze flowed through the balcony door and caused the Uchiha to stir in his sleep. I froze as he unconsciously rolled onto his side, his head resting in the crook of his elbow. I relaxed when I realized that he wasn't waking up.

But, somehow, when I see you...

His eyes ceased fluttering beneath their lids as he settled back down. They were not open and narrowed. His brows were relaxed, not furrowed. Normally, his lips tugged down in a frown. But now, I saw the opposite as he dreamt. It must have been a good dream.

I know you're going to mean everything to me in this mad world.

Naruto would have a growing army standing with him, multiple father figures, and a grandmother figure. Kakashi will have the support system that he needs to face and overcome his past. Itachi has the benefit of ultimate peace through his inevitable death. But Sasuke? What did Sasuke have?

Releasing you from your darkness would set me free.

Sasuke was... alone. He was so traumatized by his brother and his visual prowess that even if he wanted to be close to others, he didn't know how to be anymore. Even in the end, after everything was said and done, he isolated himself from his home, his only friend, his family. He craved to be vindicated and absolved of his crimes and shortcomings. Not to the rest of the world, no, they had forgiven him already. Sasuke yearned to forgive himself. For his selfishness, his wrongdoings, the times that he swore that he had it right. That he knew all along what path was the best for him to walk.

Even if my heart changes,

I reached out and placed my hand on Sasuke's head, ruffling his hair gently to wake him up. The sleepy mumble of 'Kaasan' that came from him almost brought tears to my eyes, but I held them down. He must have been dreaming about his mom.

even if this world hates us,

I brought my hand down to shake his shoulder gently. He squinted as he regained consciousness before his eyelids fluttered open fully. Embarrassed surprise showed in the form of a blush on his face and he pushed himself up slowly.

I will always be...

"Do you want to go train now?" I asked him with a small, genuine smile.

Always behind you.

"Sure..."

I swear it.

A/N: This is a good place to stop, get a drink, take a break. Maybe you're reading this at night and it's possibly past your bedtime, and there's a good chance that you just binged all of the available chapters thus far, if you're new to this story :) Get some rest.

Also, I might have disappeared for I don't know how many months... I'm adjusting to 2020 2.0, going back to my old job because I really couldn't stand my crappy office job, and getting through some (thankfully paid) quarantines that unfortunately held major creativity blocks. I tried to make this a long chapter of some wholesome content to make up for it. Hopefully Sasuke doesn't seem too OOC. He is a lot more expressive in filler episodes vs canon, and let's be honest here, the boy deserves more non-traumatic memories.

What do you think about our poor soul having flashbacks/visions of Shippuden Sakura's first experience seeing Sasuke in years? 👀