6.- Surrender

I lay prostrate on the floor. My palms and knees felt the cold of the marble and my bent head saw the shoes of the most powerful man in the Land of Fire.

I had requested a visit with him after calming my emotions; I had planned my actions well to gain Sasuke's freedom.

I considered all the possibilities, ruling out those that would affect my colleagues and friends, my only alternative was not the most just, but the one these wretched men deserved.

"Get up from the ground."

I heard the feudal lord's voice, and without looking him in the face, I stood up until I could raise my face.

"Sakura Haruno, a very respected doctor in this country... I assume you came to talk about the Uchiha."

The only one who didn't act like an idiot after the auction game was our feudal lord, so I decided to use him to gain some advantages.

"Right, I want to talk about Sasuke Uchiha."

"And what do you want?"

My eyes wandered to the painting that was on the wall of the room, it showed a large portrait of the feudal lord in his fancy clothes. Although he had been a bit more considerate towards Sasuke, I knew that he had similarities in character to the other lords.

"I would like to ask you to allow me to visit Sasuke, I need to check on him.

"Visit? I don't know, the other lords would have to give their consent."

I stared at the man with the big eyes and he held my gaze as well.

"Sir, I understand the protocol for visitors, but you know what?" I looked to the side and saw one of the guards guarding the door. "There's something I don't like about Sasuke's health."

"I read the report, I know he's not well."

"I'm afraid, sir, that they are acting without considering you." I said, drawing attention to my words, the powerful man cocked his head slightly.

"What are you talking about? Who would do such a thing? Do you know anything?"

My finger ran along the edge of the bag hanging from my shoulder.

"I'm not sure, but I have a bad feeling about this. Do you know that Sasuke's eyes are very precious? As the last surviving Uchiha, I might even think that those feudal lords want to get their hands on them. Sasuke's eyes are dangerous if they fall into the hands of foreigners."

I saw a nervous grimace on the face of the older man. He swallowed and said nothing, perhaps wondering if I knew anything about the auction.

"Did the Hokage say something to you?" He suddenly mentioned.

"The Sixth Hokage has something to say to me?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "Is it something bad?" I pretended to panic.

"No, nothing is wrong, Doctor. But I'm worried about why you came to tell me all this. What does it have to do with you wanting to visit the Uchiha?"

"Sir, I know this is just my speculation, but my duty as a Kunoichi of the Land of Fire is to protect my land; my people and my lord. I have to make sure that these men are not taking advantage of Sasuke's vulnerability for their own gain. I think they may be trying to kill Sasuke behind your back and keep his eyes to gain an advantage over us.

Finally, the expression on the lord's face changed to a gesture of seriousness.

"The war is supposed to be over. We are all at peace. I don't see the point of trying to take advantage."

"Think about it, sir. We know that we all participated in this war, but tell me, who were the ones who ended the tragedy? Who ended the enemy and freed the world from an eternal sleep?"

The man crossed his arms and frowned, seeming to meditate on my words. I didn't give him time to answer.

"Right, it was Naruto and Sasuke." I said. "They are both citizens of this country. They have done what no other shinobi has ever done. There is no village or country that has such strong men. Don't you find it strange that after the war, they decided to imprison Sasuke and punish him with life imprisonment? There are criminals who have committed atrocities and are pardoned without ever going to prison. Do you understand that? "

I took a step forward without taking my eyes off the man.

"They planned it. Two powerful shinobi in an area under the command of the same feudal lord. It's fear, it's envy of what's in their hands, sir. If you allow the others to take it upon themselves to destroy Sasuke, tell me, how will we become the most powerful country? We will be at the mercy of all those vultures who have dreamed of taking over this land from the very beginning.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, I was getting carried away with pent up anger and I didn't want any of it to be noticed. The man in front of me had finally been unsettled by my speech. He would fear for his wealth and possessions, the point was to hit him where it would hurt the most, to make him feel insecure and doubt his colleagues.

"Doctor, what do you plan to do if I give you permission to visit Sasuke?"

"I want to see Sasuke's eyes."

"I can't allow that." He stuttered. "It would violate the code."

"Well, in that case, let me look at Sasuke. I need someone from the hospital to accompany me."

A signal from the old man made the guard leave us alone; after the sound of the door closing, the man took two steps forward and spoke in a low voice.

"What happens if the Uchiha dies?"

I swallowed saliva without changing the reaction of my serious face, blinking and answering his question with a firm voice.

"If Sasuke dies in this prison," I stepped forward, "there will be no more peace in this world. The perfect balance for a peaceful era is when the wisest and most powerful country calms the rabid little ones who seek to gain wealth and power to destroy and dominate. Guess, sir, which country is that?"

The man's eyes sparkled with excitement and a small smile tugged at his lips. Yes, he had succeeded in stroking his ego and sweetening his ear. To feel superior to the rest of the feudal lords and to believe that he was at the pinnacle of glory was something mortals craved.

"Sakura Haruno," he glanced at me, "you were the doctor who cured Naruto and Sasuke, weren't you?"

"That's right, sir."

He shook his head in agreement.

"I'll be honest with you, doctor. I would like to free the young Uchiha, but that would mean making enemies. We have not yet recovered from the war and we have lost many men; the other nations would see this as a declaration of confrontation. The Uchiha have never been well regarded."

"In that case... Would you rather bow your head and accept the fate of one of your strongest shinobi? Are you willing to leave him in the hands of other feudals and let him be killed?"

"What do you suggest?" He challenged me. "Do you think it's just a matter of letting him go? Sasuke is no saint of my devotion, but I accept that his punishment is excessive. However, the leaders of the other nations fear that if he is acquitted, he may do harm. I myself doubt and sometimes believe that if we release him, he will not follow a path of obedience.

"Sasuke is repentant," I assured him, "he promised Naruto that he would be on our side to protect this land. We all know that one day, Naruto will be the Hokage, and as long as he is in charge of the internal affairs of the village, we will need someone to watch from the outside. Think of the future, sir," I felt a tension in my eyebrows, "think of your children and grandchildren, who will protect their days to come?"

"And what if your guess is wrong, who will stop Sasuke?"

"It's not a guess, I know Sasuke won't hurt anyone."

The look in that man's eyes made me understand that he didn't trust me, a part of him agreed with certain points of my speech, but for the rest of my words, he was still hesitant.

"I'll let you check it out on one condition."

Our eyes met and I felt vulnerable.

"Don't try to escape, Sasuke won't get out of this prison. I will make sure that he is kept alive, but unless you can prove to me that he is not a danger and give me verifiable reasons for the benefits of his life, I will not release him."

My chest rose and fell, I said nothing, and although I did not agree, my head moved to accept his capricious condition.

"Who will be your companion?"

"Ino Yamanaka."

He turned away and walked to the coffee table to pick up a glass cup of what looked like red wine.

"A medical ninja apprentice," he said and took a sip. "The other lords will wonder why I allowed you to visit the prisoner without a meeting to discuss it. Do you know the trouble you are causing me?"

"Sir, I assure you that far from getting you into trouble, I am keeping you out of it." I muttered, my eyes focused on the wine in his glass.

"What did you say?"

I stopped looking at the reddish liquid and returned my gaze to his tired and age-scarred eyes.

"I'll give you the examination reports as soon as I have them, you'll be the only one who knows about Sasuke's health. I won't do anything inappropriate, so be careful."

"Remember not to remove the bandage from the Uchiha's eyes."

"Don't worry, I won't."

He drank from his glass again and remained pensive. There was a silence between us and before I ended my visit, I spoke again.

"I would like to ask you not to tell the Hokage that I have come to see you nor to inform him that I will be visiting Sasuke."

"Kakashi doesn't know you are here?" He was surprised. "What are you up to?"

"I'm not planning anything, but I don't want him to be worried and stressed by such a trivial situation."

Ino looked at the patch I had given her, she still looked at me with fear and asked again and again if everything was all right with me. Sai had arrived at the meeting point in the middle of the forest, the afternoon was coming and we would arrive at the prison almost at dusk.

"Remember the plan, Ino: You will stick the patch on the guard's neck two minutes before he opens the cell, the effect will only last ten minutes and I need every second."

"Sakura, what happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me, stop thinking about it."

"Your face, the way you talk," she shook her head, "it's really not you! Is it because of Sasuke?"

I really wasn't looking forward to talking about my feelings, even though my friend looked very distressed. I smiled as best I could, and I wasn't even sure if you could call it a grimace; it was difficult and painful.

"Just help me with this, please." I asked.

"Sakura, there's something I want you to know," Sai interrupted the conversation and stepped into our positions. "During this time, I've been reading Sasuke's sentence and looking for possible gaps. I found something, but I don't know if it's a viable option for you."

"Have you found a way to get Sasuke out of prison?" I slung my backpack over my shoulder, ready for the journey. I waited for Sai's answer and felt a shiver when I saw him confirm my question.

"The sentence reads: For the crime of attempting against the welfare of the nations, it is decreed that the deserter of the Fire Country, legal name Sasuke Uchiha, be sentenced to life imprisonment." He said, "There is a hole in this sentence."

Sai was silent for a few seconds, I still didn't understand.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the sentence is for the person whose legal name is Sasuke Uchiha. If Sasuke gets a different family name, he can go free because legally, there will be no more Uchiha."

Ino and I looked at each other, she continued to speak.

"Sai, one minute... How can Sasuke change his family name? It seems absurd and impossible."

"The only way to get a different last name is through adoption, but since he is of age, the only thing he could do is get married and take his wife's last name."

They both looked at me, and my lower lip began to quiver.

"If you and Sasuke agree to a marriage, he could be free."

I shook my head repeatedly, feeling that my legs would not react and I would end up on the floor.

"That can't happen, Sasuke is in prison and as far as I know, there are no such rights for prisoners. Things like marriage are not allowed for them." I said.

"There is no such thing," Sai commented, "I've looked into it as well and that's why I'm giving you this solution. It's a mistake in the sentence and a loophole in the law, we can use it to get Sasuke out of prison."

"But... How do I get permission to get married? You know that everything is highly guarded! Even if it's legal, even if we have everything in our favor, the feudal lords won't allow Sasuke to go through the big door. I know what I'm telling you, believe me," my eyes watered as I remembered the auction, I quickly wiped them. "These men are not people you can debate and come to an agreement with, they are vile monsters who only look out for their own interests."

"We have nothing to lose by trying," Ino encouraged. "Come on Sakura, this might be Sasuke's only chance."

I said nothing more and nodded my head. We boarded the inky bird and flew towards the prison of Mushroom Village. The sudden solution, which was like a light in the middle of the darkness, didn't convince me very much, I knew very well that they wouldn't leave Sasuke alone until they had taken his eyes and killed him, but I couldn't say anything about it because I wasn't supposed to know about it.

When we arrived at the prison, Sai was standing outside waiting for us. Ino and I entered with the permission granted by the lord. I must say that the stares of the staff working there were always annoying and uncomfortable, but at that moment, I did not shy away or lower my head, I savored the sweet victory of staring at them until I defeated them in a wordless duel and saw their eyes change direction to avoid me at all costs.

We made our way to the dungeon, while Sasuke was no longer in the prison where I had checked on him earlier, he was still isolated in a dark corner.

The guard leading us was a few steps ahead of us; Ino looked at me and I shook my head, giving her the signal to get to work.

She took the patch out of her pocket and slowly raised her hand until it was at the guard's neck. Suddenly she slapped his hand and hit him with the patch, the man became agitated and she tried to calm him down.

"What the hell?!"

"Calm down, I'm sorry, I just had a big mosquito," she continued, her hand glued to the guy's skin, waiting for the patch to be absorbed.

"Now let me go!" He shouted.

"Don't move, wait... I want to move my hand away carefully to prevent the mosquito from escaping. Otherwise, I won't be able to examine what kind of insect it is, and I want to make sure it's not one that causes disease."

"Stop it!"

"All right, I'll leave it alone, just count me in, one... two... three!"

She removed her hand and the patch was gone, it would be a few minutes before the guard fell unconscious. He quickly scratched his neck and could feel nothing but his skin.

"Did you catch it?"

Ino pretended to look at something in her hand and then shook herself.

"Yes, it was a simple mosquito, nothing serious. Excuse me, sir." She smiled.

"Mosquito, ha! Those paranoid little doctors."

Once we were in front of the cell, the guard took the keys out of his pants and searched for the one that belonged to Sasuke's cell. When he found it, he opened the lock and stepped aside to let us pass. Before he could put the lock back on his body, he lost his balance and fell unconscious to the floor.

"It's time, Ino."

"Yes, while I check his last memories, you go with Sasuke."

I took the small flashlight from my first aid kit and when the light allowed me to see Sasuke, I felt my heart stop. He was visibly unwell, too thin and pale. His skin was almost grayish and his lips were purple. He had changed drastically in a very short time.

"Sasuke," I said, but he didn't answer, "Sasuke, I'm here."

His silence stunned me and I imagined the worst, my hand desperately touched his shoulder and I felt a lump in my throat.

"Sasuke!"

A small comfort came to me when I felt his lips move a little.

"Sa-kura."

"I came to see you, I told you I would come back, didn't I?" I caressed his face, "You're still sick, in fact I think you've gotten worse, what have you been eating?"

Sasuke was slow to answer, I soon noticed he was breathing slowly.

"I don't know," he replied, his voice was low and weak. "Something tasteless, maybe soup. And some bitter tasting water."

"Bitter water?"

His mouth opened but he could not say anything, he breathed and tried again.

"There's a glass under the bed, I know it's not water," he revealed. "I know what they're going to do to me, they're going to kill me."

My chest ached and my tears inevitably fell. I looked under the bed and found the glass. I poured the contents into a bottle to examined it later, but by the color of the liquid I could almost be sure it was not good.

"Who brings you this stuff?"

"I guess it's the guard," he replied weakly.

"And if you think it's poisonous, why do you drink it anyway?" I sobbed.

Sasuke remained silent and clenched his hand into a fist.

"To die at once."

Time stopped at that moment, wiping my eyes would be useless if the tears would keep falling. I approached Sasuke and my hands cupped his face carefully. The emptiness of those words echoed in my head.

"Sasuke, I said I'll get you out of this place. You mustn't give up, trust me a little more."

He didn't answer.

"Listen, Sai has found a way to get you out of this place. You have to stop being an Uchiha for the sentence to be annulled, if you marry me and take my family name, then you can be free."

My voice sounded desperate and he knew it, Sasuke was aware of my frustration because he interrupted my words to express his opinion.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Sasuke, listen to me," I started to tremble, "marry me. I know you don't love me and I'm not forcing you, I just want your freedom. Once you get out, you can do whatever you want, but please, Sasuke, please accept."

Even though the light was dim, I could see his lips curve slightly, that smile was the same one I saw all the times he called me "annoying". I expected him to say it again, but instead, it was much worse.

"I can't accept it."

"Sasuke, listen..."

"Sakura," he interrupted, "you know better than that, they won't let me go free because of a loophole in the law. Do you know what will happen? They're going to kill you. They'll eliminate anyone who dares to stand in the way of their plans," Sasuke paused for a breath. "I've hurt you enough, you and everyone who trusted me."

"You can't give up," I sobbed, "you have no right to."

"It's my destiny, I can't escape it. The Uchiha Clan was doomed to disappear from the beginning."

I began to cry, my chest ached, my soul ached, it was all too painful to bear. To see Sasuke give himself into the arms of death and to be unable to do anything for him. What would be the point of living if I couldn't help him?

"Why? Why do you give up? This is not the Sasuke I know!"

"Because I'm tired of living halfway," he confessed, "it hurts. I tried to drink from that water to die soon and not give them time to save my eyes, I know that's what they want."

I listened to him quietly, even though my body continued tremble. Sasuke knew what they were planning, he had decided to die before they could get his eyes. He would take away their chance to get the one thing they wanted.

"Don't do it," my voice cut off, "please don't drink any more of that water. I'm going to save you, I swore it."

"Sakura, I want you to do something for me."

I lifted my face, his hand caressing my cheek to wipe away the tears that had soaked my skin. I had never felt this touch from him before, in my teenage years it would have been the best thing that ever happened to me and I would have talked about it all the time, but the current scenario was different and dark and I was afraid of what this caress meant.

"Remove the blindfold covering my eyes."

I watched in anticipation as his parched, parted lips moved to request it, and with anguish the air escaped from my lungs.

"And destroy them."

I shook my head again and again, my legs and arms began to tremble. A chill ran through me.

"No, I can't do that, don't ask me to do that."

"It's the only chance, if you don't do it, they'll take them away and everyone will be in danger."

"Sasuke, you know I can't," I took his shoulders, "I'm not capable. I'll get you out soon, just hold on a little longer."

His arm pulled my left hand away.

"I don't know if I'll die before they come for my eyes, do it now and then say I caused it."

I fell to my knees on the floor and cried bitterly, Ino looking at me from the other side of the iron bars, she was scared.

"Sakura, the ten minutes are almost up." She said to me.

"Please, Sakura," Sasuke said, "and I'm sorry for how badly I treated you. I want you to be the last person my eyes see."

The tears didn't allow me to see well, but I didn't take them back. I stood in front of Sasuke and slowly raised my hands, running them up and down his face until I reached the back of the bandage. This one had a seal on it and could only be removed with a flick of the wrist.

I felt the material of the special fabric that covered those eyes I loved so much and dreamed of always seeing. I felt my fingers vibrate with nerves and the cold of this cell froze my extremities.

"There is no time, Sakura. The guard is almost awake."

I could hear Ino's voice, but it seemed far away. I had lost myself in a distant dimension where there was no hope and no choice but to surrender. My eyes saw the dark bandage and waited impatiently to meet Sasuke's irises, bOnce I destroyed Sasuke's eyes, it would all ut my hands refused to finish the action and get rid of this obstacle.

be over. Without the precious item the lords wanted, Sasuke's life would end. There was no way out, and Sasuke was not going to escape.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." I cried.