Trigger warning: blood, scenes of torture, death and sex
Much better.
"Let me turn you already," Sakura pouted.
But the woman was unfazed and showed as much by merely chuckling at the demand that had once concerned her. After twenty years of loyalty and promised income for her family, the beautician had grown comfortable in their presence – well, hers and Ino's. It was obvious from the slight hint of vervain that clung to her wise self that she'd taken precautions against vampires as a whole, though Sakura couldn't blame her for that. If anything, she was impressed by the woman's ability to find such an elusive herb.
"I would never suit such a lifestyle," she responded amusedly, finishing Sakura's nails with a satisfied exhale.
That self-satisfaction only increased as she was finally allowed to inspect them and as always, Sakura was nothing short of impressed at the intricate designs painted. The fine detail had them both smiling proudly and she reclined further back in the chair, definitely feeling more at ease now that she'd spent hours being pampered. From freshly styled hair to the most heavenly massages, to manicures and pedicures and eyelashes, she felt like a new woman who was ready for war.
"Pretty please, Kurenai-san?" Sakura went on to ask nicely, batting her fresh set of eyelashes at the dark-haired woman.
"What's this?" purred Ino as her arms came around her shoulders, cheek pressing to hers insistently. "Aren't I enough for you anymore?"
"Don't be so jealous," she chuckled.
"Just making sure I stay your number one," she shot back playfully.
Nodding her thanks as the blonde set to paying Kurenai handsomely (and booking her in for infills in a couple of weeks), Sakura ran her tongue along her teeth and took a moment to gauge her level of thirst. Thankfully it was nothing more than an annoyance in that moment, allowing her to go about her day without any concerns of descending into madness, although she couldn't help but worry over Sasuke's freedom.
If they forced him to go cold turkey again then that meant she would lose her shit.
Gods, she hoped the coven managed to find a way to tweak the spell without loosening the link.
"It was good to see you again, Sakura-san," Kurenai told her earnestly while packing away her belongings. Concern only briefly shone through those stunningly red eyes that continuously fascinated Sakura before she was sighing, sharing a small smile with Ino when the blonde took the heavier case. "Don't be getting yourself into any more trouble."
"Is that worry I can see?"
"Of course it is," she laughed cheekily. "You have kept my business going for over twenty years. Don't go dying on me until I'm rich enough to retire."
Shit, she loved a fearless human. They were like the limited edition of the stock. "I'll see what I can do." Pausing for a moment as Sakura pondered the pros and cons of sharing too much with a human, she added softly, "Watch out for the name Uchiha, Kurenai-san."
"Uchiha? Sounds familiar."
It would. They were one of the founding families and their so-called descendants swung by every so often, choosing to splurge their inherited wealth travelling the world. "Call me if you have any trouble."
The concern returned much stronger than before, but thankfully she knew when to stay out of it or when to refrain from pushing too hard, so merely nodded in acceptance and allowed Ino to escort her out safely.
That was the thing about Kurenai. She was a woman who was impressively wise and being in such a profession, she came across all kinds of juicy information from the latest gossip to keep Sakura entertained, to handy tips about newcomers that kept her in the know. Most humans expressed a deep, completely rational fear when they came across the monsters who could so effortlessly end their lives (and granted, Kurenai had been frightened until she proved herself to Sakura and was promised security), but she'd bargained with her once confident enough. She appreciated such boldness.
Sakura was forced to steady herself the moment she was standing, Ino's excitement for her return enough for the other woman to fling herself at her now that they had a moment alone together. With arms around her neck and chest pressing to her back, Sakura could do nothing more than grab one of said arms and reach awkwardly for the blonde's head, bringing her closer.
"This place sucks without you," Ino complained, only releasing her when she'd decided she'd had enough. Coming to stand before Sakura with a pout, she silently expressed the pains she'd gone through in her absence, soon adding, "Nobody ever wants to do anything that might cause them to step out of line with you."
"Temari stuck around, didn't she?" she teased in return, smirking when her righthand woman smiled and bit her lip like she was holding back tons of gossip. "I doubt you were bored for long."
Unfortunately, she wasn't going to share whatever went down between the two blondes while so many were in hearing distance, and Sakura snorted as they made their way towards the witches' section of the mansion. Ino was the worst for keeping those kinds of secrets and it showed in the eager, not-so-accidental slips that were just enough for her to get the juiciest gist.
Soon enough, however, Sakura grew too distracted to continue the game as she came across the Sabaku clan lingering just outside of the witches' main room, no doubt waiting for her arrival before entering.
"Good to see you out of that place," commented Temari, teal eyes warmer than usual.
But of course Kankuro wasn't one for fuzzy welcomes as he chose to tease her, muttering, "I'm surprised you're able to walk considering some of the stuff we heard."
"Like I could have kept him entertained for so long if I couldn't handle it," she shot back, smirking.
Gaara's gaze darkening forced Sakura to continue before they grew distracted. However, when she moved to grant herself entry to the witches' quarters, she frowned in confusion at the invisible magical barrier that kept her from entering.
"Just a precaution," Ino murmured comfortingly, all teasing and amusement fading. She was by her side when Sakura took a well disguised disappointed step back, clearly not buying the smooth composure she adopted. She never had. "They noticed how ravenous Sasuke was last night."
Sakura knew it was the heightened emotions that made her feel so put out, bringing about petty thoughts of how they should know her better by now, how Mitsuki should definitely know that she would never harm him, and she had to take a few extra moments to remind herself it was necessary. It made complete sense for them to add a layer of protection to themselves without knowing the state of her mind. She would have done the same.
It was Mitsuki who greeted them, and with her back to the others and the brief spark of warm relief in his eyes, Sakura felt all disappointment rapidly fading. She couldn't help but grin widely at him, not when she took in the dropping of his shoulders.
"You're in control."
"Feel free to drop me if I lose it," she assured him warmly.
"Does that apply for all of us?" questioned the boldest of the witches from further into the room. Anko was revealed to be standing cockily as Mitsuki lowered the barrier and granted them entry, her eyebrow quirking. "Or aren't we as loved as Mitsuki?"
Sakura's eyes rolled but she knew better than to push the conversation any further, just on the off chance someone within the clan couldn't be trusted. Arm slipping over his shoulders, Sakura glanced around the room as they fully entered it and was glad to find not only were they all present, but stacks of opened grimoires littered their huge chestnut table. They were taking their predicament seriously.
"Found anything?" Temari questioned curiously, peering down at the grimoires like any of it made sense to outsiders.
Her attention was diverted from the conversation when a pale hand reached for her necklace, and Sakura ensured to stand still as Mitsuki checked over his spell to keep her whereabouts a mystery. Once done, he met her eye with a calmness that managed to soothe the faintest twitches of her thirst, allowing Sakura to comfortably enter the space that reeked of humans.
The brainstorming session meant absolutely nothing to her and like hell she had the patience to nod along like she even understood what they were saying. Luckily, the coven knew her well enough by that point and kept it to the need to know, but it was obvious Temari wanted the ins and outs, those teal eyes never missing a detail as she absorbed all that was going on.
"They cursed him," Sakura informed the group when they wondered about Sasuke's affliction and how it was managed. "Senju Hashirama weakened him when Sasuke's strength proved too great."
"That is why he is weaker than all other originals," Mitsuki realised.
Kankuro leaned back against the wall with a thoughtful scowl, alerting them offhandedly, "Rippers are driven by their needs and oftentimes have a surge of extra strength during binges. Adrenaline, I guess." He looked to Gaara with a tip of his chin, muttering, "You have more experience in Sasuke's strength than us, however."
His hum was low and introspective, but the redhead left them in suspenseful silence for too many agonising moments. It proved to be on purpose also when he smirked languidly at her huff of impatience.
"There's not much to say. He tried his luck. We fought. I walked away. He didn't."
Damn it, for all his suspense he truly was the worst at telling stories. "Those bursts of adrenaline?" Sakura pushed, pretending like that smirk of his didn't drive her crazy. "How powerful were they?"
"Not enough to make him a major concern to an original who is at full strength," Gaara finally offered a real response and shrugged with one shoulder. "They were impressive but fleeting. Hashirama's doing, no doubt."
Nodding her thanks and approaching the remarkable stacks of grimoires, Sakura looked to the coven and told them, "Orochimaru spent a decade or two trying to undo the curse, but to no avail."
"Hashirama's magic is absolute," explained Kabuto matter-of-factly. "Individually, none of us can touch magic of that level."
"You won't touch that level of magic collectively either," came her calm warning. She ensured to meet each of their gazes levelly, though left Mitsuki for last when she continued seriously, "Sasuke still despises his clan for weakening him and he'll do anything to undo the curse. We need to assume he'll approach you all at some point." Jaw setting at the slightest narrowing of Mitsuki's eyes, she told him specifically, "No matter what happens, refuse him. Sasuke will be unstoppable if he goes into a binge at full strength."
"What makes you so sure?" asked Ino, visibly discomforted by the warnings. "What happened out there?"
As much as Sakura wanted to keep the humiliating ordeal a secret, she knew the coven needed to understand the horrific risk looming over them and what it could mean for Konoha – for humans as a whole. Every detail was shared, from the overwhelming urges that had immobilised her and left her descending into terrifying madness to how inevitable it felt when breaking Itachi with her bare hands.
"I was juiced up on what was left of Gaara's blood and Itachi's," she informed them seriously, inwardly sighing when she noticed Ino's instinctive recoil as Itachi's name was uttered aloud, undoubtedly awaiting the fit of rage that usually followed. There was so much she'd yet to tell her righthand woman, including all the painful emotions that were cracking away at her heart. "I was briefly able to overpower the hybrid." Showing how troubled she was, Sakura looked to Gaara, telling him, "Even still, Sasuke managed to overpower me when he gave into his own urges."
Granted, she'd given up fairly quickly upon realising his feeding brought her more pleasure than her own, but that was beside the point. In that brief moment of battling strengths, the weakened original had managed to overpower her. It was like Naruto said back then: there was no telling how badly Sasuke could fuck up at full strength.
Agreement from Anko had never come easier as she set the grimoire she was reading down, uttering to the others, "The fact Orochimaru was unable to reverse it even with his extensive research tells us Hashirama's magic is on a whole other level."
"More importantly, the Senju clan are not dead and there's no telling how Hashirama will react to meddling," murmured Temari. "You do not want to cross them."
It was entirely Gaara's influence on her that had Sakura snorting despite her initial concerns. "Ominous."
He couldn't hide his amused smirk, head dipping to avoid Temari's piercing glare when she looked to him disapprovingly.
"Look, we–"
Her hiss of pain had Kabuto cutting himself off with obvious concern, and Sakura winced while glancing to her arm and yanking up the sleeve of her reddening dress. But the blistering agony was easy to push aside when anger overshadowed it beautifully at the sight of numbers appearing on her once flawless, smooth skin.
"Sasuke," Ino muttered venomously.
Now that she was reunited with her gadgets and was no longer reliving the stone ages, Sakura wasted no time in dialling the number that was already disappearing from her arm, anger only being fanned to new heights at the prolonged ringing. At the insistence of the witches who didn't possess enhanced hearing, she switched it to loudspeaker but couldn't set the phone down even as her hand shook.
"Hello–"
"Naruto," she snarled into the phone the second she recognised his voice. "Tell that ripper bastard I'm going to lose my shit if he keeps ruining my clothes."
"E-Eh? Sasuke's upstairs, Sakura-chan. I don't see how he's ruining your clothes," came his infuriating reply. Without giving her the chance to delve deeper into her rage, Naruto's voice perked up considerably and she could sense his smile. "But it's good that you called! Itachi and Shisui were just talking about how they need to arrange a meeting for us all about our next moves now that we're out."
Rolling his eyes, Gaara approached Sakura and took the phone from her grasp with no issue, muttering coldly, "There will be no next moves if you don't control him."
A pause. Then, "Gaara? Is that Gaara?"
"Give me strength," Temari grumbled under her breath.
"I'm kidding," Naruto laughed easily, only to pause at the quietest of conversations going on in the background. "Look, I don't know what Sasuke's done, but Itachi's got everything under control."
Under control? Really?
Gritting her teeth to strengthen her resolve, Sakura stunned them all (and terrified poor Yukimaru) by forsaking her now ruined dress to ram a hand through her own stomach. Despite the pain, she smirked wickedly at the grunt of pain and Naruto's shocked spluttering on the other end of the line and leaned her side into the table while the wound healed.
"Put me on loudspeaker, mutt." Only after he responded he'd done it did Sakura speak to her former lover, reminding him of how callously she'd used Naruto to get one over on Sasuke. "He antagonised me, remember."
"And here I was beginning to miss our time together," came Itachi's weary sigh.
"Don't use that tone with me," she snapped angrily, uncaring for the disbelieving expressions of those who weren't clued in yet. "If you don't put the fear of the Gods into that ripper, then I swear I will have him permanently imprisoned somewhere even you can't get to him."
"You–"
"Learn to use a damn phone," she yelled once Sasuke made himself known. "You don't have to go all emo and brand your love letters into our skin, asshole."
The sounds of a scuffle breaking out was complemented by brief flashes of pain in various parts of her body, and they were soon able to make out Naruto yelling triumphantly just as an invisible force wrapped around her throat with a steadily increasing pressure. It left her trembling faintly until Sakura hunched over the table, eyes squeezing shut as she willed herself to fight through it. That moron would figure out what he was doing–
Cursing when it continued, Ino wasted no time vamping forward and breaking one of her fingers into an awkward, unusual angle with a whispered apology. Abruptly, the pressure disappeared and she couldn't control the gasp of air or the weakening of her knees, but much to her gratefulness, nobody babied her. They allowed her to regain composure in her own time and once she had it, Sakura was snapping her finger back into place and snatching the phone from an expectant Gaara.
"Naruto…!"
"I-I'm sorry, Sakura-chan! I wasn't thinking, I swear!"
"And here I was starting to think of you as a friend," she struck where it'd hurt him most.
"I am!"
"Some friend."
"Don't be like that–"
"Enough already," muttered Itachi, followed by the sounds of the phone being snatched from the whining hybrid. Somewhere in the background they were able to hear Shisui teasing him, talking over Sasuke's bitching that had Kankuro's eyes rolling. "Name a time and place, Sakura. Sasuke will be on his best behaviour."
"You're bringing him?" came Ino's disturbed demand.
Like they really had much of a choice. Leaving Sasuke to his own devices so soon after falling off the wagon was simply asking for him to disappear on a binge. Simultaneously, if left alone, that made him vulnerable against Madara if he happened to catch wind of their plans, effectively making her vulnerable too. They had to tread carefully and with the suspicion that Madara was a step ahead and waiting for them to slip up.
Sakura pouted over at her lover when his aggravated sigh told her she was right in her predictions and she finally breathed a deep, calming breath.
"You're still covered by the cloaking spell," Mitsuki informed them, and she bit back that instinctual need to shield him from their world, secretly grateful when Ino nonchalantly brushed their fingers together while pressing away from the table. "I can also sense an original's presence in Konoha. Several, in fact."
He was going to be stretching himself way too thin, Sakura's instincts warned her. Witches only wielded so much power before burning themselves out.
"I will continue to track their whereabouts for the duration of your meeting."
"They're lingering," murmured Shisui. "No doubt waiting for Sasuke to reveal himself. They get Sasuke, they get Sakura-chan. Problem solved."
Originals were sickeningly difficult to kill. Sakura was aware of them being subdued and put to sleep, though the hows and whys continued to be a mystery to her. It had her assuming each clan had their own form of punishment or weakness, otherwise her lover wouldn't have hesitated to strike against them. He was always itching to pick at the others.
"We need to be prepared, then," Naruto muttered, finally growing serious. "I can only do so much when it's one against four vengeful originals."
"Four?"
"…Obito?"
Oh, shit. She forgot about the recluse. Funny how that kept happening. "What do you propose?"
"I–"
"Naruto–"
"Now, now, don't be shy," she playfully chided. "You wouldn't keep something as important as this from me, would you? When I have Madara breathing down my neck?"
Gaara snorted at the coy act, though Sakura could see he was also intrigued to see if it worked.
"Itachi~"
Wait…
"You've already shown me," she breathed excitedly, grinning at Sasuke's annoyed growl. "There's a dagger."
Two that Itachi was in possession of, going off the memories he'd shared with her. It was how he'd taken Sasuke down fifty years ago and how he'd forced himself into a slumber.
"Daggers work on us?" questioned Kankuro dubiously while looking to his siblings.
Temari shrugged uncaringly. "Last I heard Madara destroyed them all."
No, surely it wasn't so easy? Those daggers looked flimsy as hell, like one rough movement and they'd snap. Yet Itachi's memories were crystal clear even while lost in emotional distress and they'd managed to keep them down a minimum of fifty years that she knew of. Adding to that, Naruto said they used it on Sasuke often.
"I know you well and I know you will stop at nothing to make a move against Madara," came her former love's warning, more seriously than she'd expected. It caused Ino to return to her side with a frown of confusion and Gods, she could tell the blonde was dying to know what went down between them in the prison. "But I am warning you, do not use those blades, Sakura."
Gaara's jolt of recognition was soon followed by a malicious grin that intrigued her far too much for her own good and naturally, she drifted closer to him, silently demanding all the answers.
But it was his sister who shared all and with a displeased sigh. "You mean the daggers dipped in the ash of the white oak tree." Glancing to the rest of them, she muttered, "Slight catch. Any ordinary vampire who daggers an original will perish."
"Fucking originals," Sakura groaned.
A hand caught her chin just as she made to stalk away and she sucked in a sharp breath at the dark playfulness in Gaara's gaze. "There's that lack of respect again."
"Not in front of the children," chastised Kankuro, gesturing to the clueless Mitsuki and Yukimaru.
"Always a catch," Ino complained and looked over to Temari, eyebrows quirking. "Do you guys have any?"
"Do you really think we would be brainstorming like this if we had them?" came her snorted response. "Better yet, if we had them, don't you think Gaara would have used them already purely to piss that clan off?"
"More like give them a century or two of peace if he chose his target well," argued Naruto in a sulky mutter.
Tugging her chin free at the snapping of Gaara's teeth, Sakura offered him a coy smile while backing away to join her witches with their grimoires, taking particular notice in Karin and Kabuto's unwavering attention as they relied solely on their magic to sift through the spells. Risky, she had to say, for if they weren't specific about what they wanted then there was every chance they wouldn't receive the answers they needed. However, Sakura had to applaud their wishes to skip the pointless chatter and page turning.
"Bring them with you, Itachi," she ordered.
"I–"
Ignoring the suspicious stares, Sakura cut him off with a sigh and reached for the phone. "I'm not saying go out of your way to stab your insane uncle. Bring them as an extra layer of protection."
But his chuckling had her pouting, for he was soon to shoot down the idea with a simple, "Whether I bring them or not won't matter to you, my love. You will never get your hands on them. Not even with your impressive charm."
Ino caught her eye with her own widening gaze, mouthing demandingly, "My love?"
She waved her off. "Don't you think it's fair these guys have one of their own too?"
"Don't be absurd," scoffed Sasuke. "The first thing that psychopath you're keeping on a leash will do is shove that dagger into one of us. Most likely my brother to eliminate the competition."
Green eyes rolled at the childishness of the accusation, though she did find herself sparing her lover a teasing glance just to snicker at his contemplative expression. Although Gaara wouldn't actually take it upon himself to put Itachi down, she knew he was always itching for a chance to piss the other originals off – Sasuke continuously ground on his nerves, so what better way than to go after his dear older brother?
"Wimp," laughed Temari.
"Enough of this back and forth digging," sighed Shisui, and she heard Naruto agreeing in the background. "Time and place, Sakura-chan. We'll be there. Without any drama."
Copying his weary sigh, Sakura glanced to her coven before deciding, "My place. Go around the back."
"Sakura–" Ino snapped disbelievingly.
"We're going to be civil," she murmured, eyebrows raising imploringly and hoping her righthand took notice. Suspiciously, she did and backed off, though soon spared concerned glances with the rest. "I'm feeling refreshed and generous."
The grin in Naruto's voice was unmistakable. "You got your hair fixed?"
"What the hell happened down there?" demanded Ino, finally losing her patience.
"The day is just getting weirder," Kankuro agreed, grimacing. "I have a feeling this is only the beginning, too."
"Among other things," she teased the hybrid.
"Why does that sound hot?"
He was way too easy, Sakura couldn't help but snort in amusement. That amusement only turned to sadistic glee at Gaara's interest in the conversation, for she could see the cogs working away in his equally conniving mind.
"Sasuke, control him," sighed Itachi. "Time, Sakura."
"Give me an hour," she suggested. "I'll ensure to have a spread that's enjoyable for all."
"Sasuke, I think I'm in love."
"Shut up, you moron."
Chuckling deviously, Sakura hung up without another word from the Uchiha clansmen before facing the demanding silence that certainly didn't disappoint. They were equal parts exasperated as they were challenging, and it only served to amuse her further, because surely they'd seen something like this coming? At least Gaara didn't seem all that surprised, she thought with an impish smirk.
Huffing, the redhead murmured, "Your charm rarely fails you."
"The best part about it is that Itachi acknowledged it too," she laughed. "Yet he can't resist me."
"So… We can say his name now?"
Sakura looked to Ino with a thoughtful hum, warning, "Undecided."
Throwing her hands up in disbelief, Anko turned on her heel and returned her attention to the grimoires, muttering, "Who needs reality television when you have such dramatic vampires taking up all your time?"
"Don't be like that, Anko," chuckled Guren. "You know you enjoy Sakura-san's drama."
She pouted. "I was really looking forward to tormenting that Uchiha boy."
"We all were," agreed Ino.
"Patience," Sakura insisted before tipping her chin in the direction of her rooms. "Ino, there's a few things we need to discuss before they get here. While we do that, you can help me find something new to wear." Barely sparing yet another ruined dress a disdainful glance, she looked to the Sabaku siblings and offered a sweet smile, asking of her lover in particular, "Wherever you found those humans from yesterday, do you think you can get more?"
The only response she received was the rolling of Gaara's eyes before he disappeared with his siblings on his heels, although she knew not to be bothered by his silence. He was antsier than she was to get the show on the road and would no doubt go over the top with their spread to grate at Sasuke's nerves. More importantly, her lover knew that if she sent anyone else, they would either fuck up or get themselves killed. He'd always said he preferred getting the jobs done himself.
"Are you sure about this, Sakura?" questioned Karin with a frown. "Bringing them here when they have the rest of their clan on the lookout for them is asking for trouble."
Sakura sighed irritably at that and set her hands to her hips. "You're still watching over the human, right?"
"Of course, Sakura-san," Yukimaru told her with a pleasant smile. "He doesn't really mind hanging out with us, either."
"Just make sure he doesn't leave the building, no matter what."
If he died then the whole place was open for invasion, although admittedly, Sakura was already planning a backup to avoid having to worry about it any longer. After all, that man wasn't the first homeowner – not even close. They were regularly recycled to ensure maximum security of her mansion and while the next switch over was sooner than originally planned and a little more permanent than she liked, Sakura knew it would be a wise move on her part.
But those plans were proven to be the least of their concerns as the coven continued their searching. Ownership had to wait. For now, at least.
"We don't have the time to start meddling with the linking spell. Not before their arrival, anyway," she murmured thoughtfully. Gesturing to the table, she added, "But I do appreciate all that you're doing."
Pausing in her reading, Anko placed her hands to the table and set her with a suspicious, no-nonsense look that lasted a little too long in Sakura's opinion – no, that wasn't the issue, she discovered with a weighty sigh when Ino joined in the staring. Those eyes of hers felt as though they were piercing straight through her soul. Always had. Anko was never fooled by any of her bullshit.
"What happened down there?"
Sakura glanced over her shoulder, stunning them with her brief show of concern. It was enough for Tayuya to grab the herbs and begin burning them without hesitation, quietly informing them that it was a privacy spell that would keep their words from being overheard even by vampires.
Swallowing, she confessed, "Itachi compelled me."
"What?" Mitsuki was by her side within moments, warming her heart with his concern. "Did it happen while you were weakened?"
She nodded regretfully, but then added, "And… fifty years ago. When he first left."
Ino's hand found hers and just as she'd longed for during her time in the prison, the blonde offered Sakura the support and comfort she needed to try and sort through the mess that was her head. And Gods, was there so much that she needed to reconsider.
"We don't have time to go over it all," she reminded them with a deep sigh. "But I trust and value you all too much to keep such information from you. If there's even the slightest of chances that I'm compelled against any of you…"
"I have vervain," Karin informed her sincerely. "It's not much of a stash, but I'm working on it."
While long since healed, the reminder of the intense burning that'd travelled all the way to her gut after drinking from Itachi tried to put Sakura off using the herb willingly. The thought of ingesting it was unpleasant enough to cause her stomach to curl sickeningly. However, she knew it to be necessary. Not to protect herself against Itachi – not really. The rest of them.
"That would be good. Thank you, Karin."
Grimacing, Sakura looked to her righthand woman and offered a small, comforting smile at the sight of her troubled frown. It had her reaching out and gently smoothing out the frown lines, other hand returning the increased pressure.
"I'm not concerned about Itachi compelling me," she alerted them all – confused them too, probably. "My concern is whether other originals can compel me too. Madara, to be more exact."
Inhaling deeply to control herself against the horrendous visions of being controlled by the madman that was Madara, Sakura finally released Ino. She was unable to look her in the eye while imagining tearing her to pieces as she had in Sasuke's mental torture. That bastard original would probably take great delight in turning her against her own people, but like hell Sakura would allow Madara to take anyone else from her. She would die first.
"But if Itachi's done it before, who's to say he won't do it again?" demanded Tayuya, frowning.
As greatly as she valued them all, Sakura wasn't about to bare her heart. It was in such a shitty situation as it was – she didn't need them knowing how shaky her resolve actually was when it came to the Uchiha.
"Regardless, the vervain will fix the weakness," Guren interjected smoothly. Standing beside the cabinet of crystals she often used, her eye moved to Yukimaru as he returned one to its rightful place, offering him a small smile when he looked to her. "A small dose every day should do the trick, with the added bonus of building up a tolerance to it should the hunters try any of their dirty tricks."
That was a good point. The Uchiha Clan was one of the founding families and now that there were originals back on the scene, Sakura knew she had to present a solid case to Sarutobi to reaffirm her position. After all, his sole concern was the humans. If her presence posed a notable risk against them (whether that be her personally or her enemies using them to get to her) then he was well within his rights to go back on their original deal.
And he had the means to chase her out of town or wipe her clan out entirely.
"We should get moving," Ino insisted after sparing a glance to her phone. "We have less than an hour to prepare."
"Go ahead. I'll be up in a moment."
"I'll have your choice of outfits narrowed down," she snorted teasingly. "That should save us a chunk of time."
"Yeah, right."
Maintaining the playfulness until the blonde was out of earshot and having her nerves eased with a reassurance of the privacy spell still being active, Sakura finally allowed herself a moment of weakness. To finally ease that godawful vision Sasuke had tortured her with.
"Mitsuki-kun, a moment?" Then quickly shook her head, murmuring, "First, Yukimaru-kun. Before you leave."
He faltered worriedly but was quick to meet her eye with a frown. She couldn't exactly blame him for his hesitance, not when she'd made it obvious in the past that she wasn't overly keen on him. "Yes, Sakura-san?"
She offered a small, warm smile and told him earnestly, "I really admire the guts it took to go up against that pack of werewolves. Know that I won't forget it anytime soon."
The blush was intense and had the young boy looking away all flustered, much to Karin and Tayuya's amusement. But it was as they finally left that Mitsuki looked to her warmly, more open now that they were alone and eradicating any amusement she may have experienced. Like Sakura, he'd taken to remaining composed a great deal of the time and only allowing their closeness to show when they were alone. Otherwise it was too risky.
"You made him really happy," he noted. "Does this mean you finally like him?"
Snorting mischievously, she warned, "Don't go getting his hopes up."
Then like any ordinary thirteen-year-old child who was trapped under a world of worry, fear and strain, Mitsuki fully lowered his guards and approached to stand directly before her, his golden eyes expressing everything she needed to know.
Still, he didn't hesitate to vocalise it. He never did when it was the two of them.
"I'm glad you're home," Mitsuki said, poking at her damned maternal instincts when he wrapped his arms around her middle like they'd gone back ten years.
Quietly, with her heart in her throat, she teased, "Have you really missed me that much?"
"Even with Ino-oba here, it's not home without you."
Sakura melted into the embrace before returning it tenfold, cheek pressing to the top of his head. Sometimes, in moments such as these, she was still able to pick up on that scent that was entirely him – his baby scent, she meant. To that day, it remained her favourite smell of all time and never failed to make her heart burst with maternal love. It was what brought her the greatest comfort.
It was the weak cry that garnered their attention one morning in the fall and like it was a magnetic pull, Sakura allowed the weary sound to draw her closer, for the first time not needing to rely on her hunter instincts to find the weak human.
It wasn't unusual for humans to stray off the trails and die out in the forest, though their official cause of death (if they were ever found, that was) was almost always fabricated. Most became the prey of the supernatural beings passing through – huge pain in the ass. Old man Sarutobi suspected their clan for the longest time and Sakura knew the hunters continued to blame them, refusing to accept that she had no control over the nomads or werewolves. In their eyes, all vampires were evil and didn't deserve to live. They continued to distrust her especially as their numbers grew.
The pesky, unkillable hunters were the reason they were currently out there trudging through the forest in the goddamn rain like their guard dogs. News of a disturbance was making its way through the grapevine and their clan was forced to uphold their end of the deal by investigating, on the off chance it was werewolves since they were approaching a full moon.
Why the hell did that have to be her issue? Her life was at just a great a risk as theirs. She too could be killed by werewolves. Then again, that was why she'd chosen to do the perimeter during the day. No full moon, no mangy mutts.
The reigniting annoyance was promptly shoved from her mind when they eventually came across the crying human, and she felt her heart lurch at the defeated creature slumped into the tree. It barely granted any coverage from the rain, leaving him drenched from the steadily increasing downpour and trembling horrendously.
He was…
So helpless. So scared. So tired.
No child should possess such a haunted expression.
Meeting his fearful golden gaze was her first mistake, but she couldn't fight the first true flash of emotion that crashed through her with a great enough intensity that it had Ino looking to her with hopeful disbelief.
It'd been decades since Sakura turned her emotions back on, but due to focusing on the rage and the grief, she'd failed to acknowledge or allow herself to experience anything else. And the sudden wave of protectiveness that pulsed through her was strong enough to bring her to her knees before him, voice gentle while offering reassurances that had her righthand woman's eyes softening.
"An infant," Sakura murmured softly to Ino while guiding the soaked toddler closer, frowning at how desperately he clung to her, wailing with a renewed strength. How long had he been out there for? He was so thin she could feel his bones rattling with his shuddering. "Shh, little one," she cooed. Nodding her thanks when Ino crouched before them and eased her jacket over the pale toddler, they met one another's eye, conveying their concern. "You're safe with us. Can you talk?"
Teary golden eyes peered up at her, unwilling to put too much space between them before the boy was shivering and seeking comfort once more, little limbs trying their best to wrap around her.
Sakura kept him tightly against her while standing, only shifting the hold to offer him better support. But that was her next mistake, she believed, because the rain worked to enhance the scent she'd previously thought was out of reach for her after he left. The scent that each infant boasted and unknowingly comforted their parents with. It left her breathless, trapped with that heavenly reprieve that only continued to chip away at her cold outer shell.
How could a child who meant absolutely nothing to her have such a powerful effect?
"Let's get him out of the rain and warmed up," Ino suggested. "We can plan our next move from there."
Maybe…
"Don't worry," she soothed. "We'll try to find your family, but until then you can stay with us."
Just maybe…
Blue eyes warmed considerably when she next looked to Ino and she patted the boy's back.
"Our home is your home," the blonde assured the terrified child, but Sakura knew the next words were directed at her weakening heart. "For as long as needs be."
There was no denying that Gaara played a major part in Sakura's growth and acceptance of what she was, just as there was no denying that she likely wouldn't have made it through the flipping of her humanity switch without Ino's steady support and unconditional love.
However, it was Mitsuki's intrusion in her life that undoubtedly granted her that first, true glimpse of a real future that wasn't soaked in blood, torture and heartache. Somehow, he'd burrowed beneath her skin at a time when she may as well have been without her emotions and reawakened everything she'd tried to shut out.
Sakura smiled with the next inhale that assaulted her senses, heart growing lighter. The suffocating weight that plagued her since Sasuke's mind games finally eased off bit by bit as she found her thirst well checked and completely unresponsive to her son, the relief that coursed through her prompting Sakura to tighten her hold considerably.
"I missed you too, kid."
Courtesy of Mitsuki, she was handed the sage that continued to burn and grant them privacy from eavesdroppers. It allowed Sakura the chance to speak earnestly with her righthand woman, who as promised had several outfits laid out and ready to choose from, complete with impressive heels and jewellery.
"Damn," whistled the blonde once she finally shared how deep the compulsion had actually gone. Granting herself a seat on the plush armchair, Ino asked contemplatively, "So, does that make us the villains, then?"
Honestly? Sakura wasn't even sure anymore. She wasn't sure about anything other than Madara had to pay for all he'd done – that was the only solid thought she possessed. Itachi, Shisui and goddamn it, even that bastard Sasuke, were victims to the twisted madman who found enjoyment in all their suffering. She had no intentions of going after fellow victims of Madara's.
"If yes, then so be it," Sakura eventually replied.
Turning to assess the ensemble Ino had insisted was the one, she admired the sheer lace bustier that was stunning even in the simple block black. The amount of skin on display never would have flown fifty years ago, though she supposed the smart, high waisted pants made up for that – that and they were simply magical for how effortlessly they emphasised the dip in her waist.
"You were right," she allowed with a proud smirk. "This trumps my dresses."
"I told you so." Ino inspected her own nails for a brief moment before looking back to Sakura with a raising eyebrow, quietly demanding, "So where do we stand with Itachi?"
She grimaced at that. "We can trust him, to an extent."
"Because he showed you his memories."
"Partly. But also…" Shrugging helplessly and averting her gaze, Sakura was glad to find a matching blazer for the outfit and slipped it on to admire it in full. It certainly was one of her classier choices. "It's been fifty years, yet I feel like I still know a part of him. At least enough to know he would never harm me."
Standing soundlessly and joining her at the dresser, Ino ran her hands down the blazer to smooth out any wrinkles, meeting her eye once more via their reflections. "Your rage was what guided you through the last fifty years – the hate more so. Itachi's essentially stripped you of what you used to rebuild yourself. Of course you're going to fall back on your last solid emotions."
"I'm so confused by the whole thing. Without that hate, I…" She shook her head wearily. "I don't know how I feel anymore."
Those hands gave a comforting squeeze of her shoulders and Sakura leaned back gratefully. This. This was exactly what she'd needed during that month of hell. No matter what she dragged the other woman through, Ino remained by her side and took those one-eighties without batting an eye. She was Sakura's voice of reason, her greatest supporter but most importantly, that treasured friend who she could share all with.
She was her soulmate.
"Do I hate him?" she questioned and looked back to her own reflection, troubled by the indecision so visible in her made up features. "Do I still love him? Why do I still connect with his emotions? How could I sit there and talk with him like nothing's changed?"
"Why do you still feel like a part of your heart yearns for him?"
She nodded meekly.
"You know already that I lost the man I thought I'd be spending the rest of my life with," Ino reminded in a quiet voice. Even after fifty years, the pain was unmistakable and Sakura reached out for her to offer silent comfort, heart clenching with that unshakeable need to ease Ino of her suffering. But no matter how big their clan became, nobody could take that man's place. Not even her. "I never thought I'd come back from that pain, but if there's anything that this life has shown me, it's that our hearts can't help but hopelessly continue to love."
Never replace. Never forget. But continue to love and offer up the parts that were ready to be shared.
"It's been fifty years since Sasuke killed him and I still miss him like it was yesterday," she confessed, eyes becoming glassy as Ino lost herself in the memories of the human life she'd been ready to share with her lost love. "Sai was… Gods, he was infuriating but there was never a day he couldn't make me smile or laugh."
Pulling her righthand woman to the foot of her bed, Sakura held her close to her side, allowing them both a brief few minutes of shared pain and companionship until the blonde was ready to talk once more, swallowing hard.
"Just as I still love Sai, there's going to be a part of you that continues to love Itachi," she softly told her, bringing Sakura's head to her shoulder with a delicate hand. "They were both huge parts of our lives, however…" Smiling weakly and releasing a sharp exhale that was loaded with anguish and reluctant acceptance, Ino continued, murmuring, "There's going to be so many epic loves and heartaches in our lives. We're immortal."
"Where would I be without my righthand woman?" Sakura asked fondly, grateful for the comfort Ino radiated.
Smiling warmly, the blonde kissed the top of her head. "Spiralling in rage and heartache and who knows what else. Good thing I don't plan on ever leaving your side."
"I'll hold you to that."
A/N - A little piece of backstory for those of you who were curious about Sakura and Mitsuki's bond! You can also find fan art for this story on my Tumblr (riseoftheblossom-ff) and the NSFW fan art on my Twitter (RiseOTBlossom).
Just a quick apology in advance: I'm not receiving any email notifications from FF. I'm so so sorry for the huge delays in responses!