A/N: This is the revised version of this story. I've doubled up chapters, so what was two chapters have now been combined into one. For instance, chapters one and two have been combined into just chapter one. Chapters three and four are now just chapter two and so on. So now the chapters are longer with between 9,000 and 10,000 words for each. I've also edited all the chapters that were up. I've changed my username and will also be uploading this story onto Archive of our Own under the same username yokokuroba
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or One Piece nor do I make any money from my writings.
Chapter Five: A Sweet Memory X A Final Farewell
The sound of clicking was the signal the door to the cellar was shut and dark eyes settled on a pair of jade ones. The pinkette stood calmly in front of the door and the shouting of "Have fun, kiddies!" could be heard from outside of the door. The male let out a scoff and turned his head forward, his eyes narrowed toward the ground. He knew some of his crewmates could be childish, but this was just ridiculous.
With his back pressed against a barrel to the side of the decent sized room, he had his legs pulled up and his arms draped over his knees. Ace had been wondering what was going through their heads when they asked him to come down here and then locked the door behind him. Why there was a lock on the cellar door to begin with, he didn't even know. If anyone wanted booze, they could just get it. Who the hell was going to get on this massive ship just to take some of Whitebeard's drinks? His crewmates had obviously been planning this for a while and prepared beforehand so that he couldn't escape. Although if he had really wanted to, a simple lock wasn't going to keep him from getting out. He wasn't willing to risk his captain's anger at having part of his ship destroyed though.
Why they even bothered to do something like this was beyond him. Okay, so maybe he had opened up to everyone on the crew and he was usually more talkative. So maybe it was unusual for him not to be at least semi-polite to someone new, but that was the problem. She wasn't new to him, but she was at the same time. He knew her, but she had changed. He was able to sense it as soon as he saw her, and it made him uncomfortable.
He didn't know what happened to her, but it made the light in her eyes vanish. Whenever his eyes trailed to her, which had been often, he felt like he was looking at a girl he didn't recognize anymore. It was painful. Which was why he had done his best to avoid her while the captain allowed her to stay on the ship. However, it looked like his efforts had been in vain, considering they were now trapped in this room, with no exit other than the locked door, and for who knew how long.
The soft sound of footsteps he could barely make out made their way to him and he turned his head in the opposite direction from her. She was making her way slowly down the stairs from the door and onto the cellar floor.
Ace furrowed his brow with a slight scowl. He wanted to talk with her, but so much had changed in the time they hadn't seen each other. What made it even worse was that there was no recognition in her eyes when she looked at him. She didn't remember him at all, but then again, she had warned him that might happen. It was a high possibility and he had prepared himself for it. He just hadn't thought it would be so agonizing to be forgotten by someone that he considered to be his little sister. Or was it big sister...? Oh well, that didn't matter. She looked younger than him at the time, so she was his little sister.
The footsteps stopped beside him and he could feel the gaze of the pinkette on him, her eyes penetrating through him and causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. The male rose his hand to his forearm and squeezed it, desperate not to give away how much the girl had an effect on him.
Sakura sat down next to him so that she was facing the same direction his own body was and she pulled her knees to her chest. Placing her hands on top of her knees, she continued to set her attention on him. Her face didn't give away any emotion other than an innocent curiosity, her expression mostly calm. "Ace-sama?" she called out to him.
'Don't call me that.' he wanted to say to her. It was so unlike her. Even her voice had lost its ferocity that it used to hold. It matched the eyes she now had. The spark she had was gone now and he had no idea why. Ace gritted his teeth in frustration and guilt. He hadn't been there for her when she needed help the most. What happened to her?
"Ace-sama?"
'Don't call me that.' His teeth gritted even more.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, concern and innocence lacing her soft voice.
Yes. Everything was wrong. She had forgotten about him and Luffy. She had forgotten the vows they made together. She had forgotten the promise she made them. She had forgotten them… What was worse was there wasn't anything they could have done to help her. There was nothing he could have done to save her from whatever it was that was haunting her. What good was he…? What sort of brother was he? He couldn't protect anything…
Dark eyebrows furrowed before onyx eyes clenched shut, his arms raising so that his hands could bury themselves in his dark hair, gripping at the loose strands at his scalp roughly. Self-loathing and guilt ate away at his heart and a deep heat settled inside of his stomach. His mouth ran dry, and his throat clenched, a sudden nausea hitting him deep within his core. A thick sweat was breaking out over his body, and he could swear he was trembling. He was so disgusted with himself…
"Do you hate me?"
The sudden question had Ace lifting his head swiftly and he barely registered the image of the cellar wall in front of him before turning his head to look down at the girl beside him. His eyes were wide in shock, and he was sure he hadn't quite heard her right. Did he hate her?
"W-what?" he stuttered.
The young girl had a frown on her lips, her pink eyebrows furrowing in displeasure. It was clear she was worried about him and the tension between them that had been caused by him. "Do you hate me?" she repeated, her voice just as soft as the first time she had asked him, if not quieter. She was nervous.
Of course not. It wasn't hate he felt for her. Nowhere close to it, but how could he tell her that? As far as she knew, this was their first meeting. So what could he say?
Swallowing to try to moisten his dry throat, he turned his head away from that earnest gaze. The fire-user closed his eyes and frowned deeply before gritting out, "Don't be stupid. How can I hate someone I don't know?"
"It's just that…" the pinkette started, her jade eyes still looking over the man beside her, "Whenever I tried to talk to you before, you'd always avoid me." Her gaze fell down to the floor in front of her for a moment as if in thought before she looked back at him, her frown still in place. "And at times, you look like you're glaring at me."
Ace furrowed his brow and almost scowled at the new information. Had he been glaring? He hadn't meant to at all. He would admit to himself that it angered him to see her, but it was for a completely different reason than the one she came up with. Seeing her this way made him think of his faults as the big brother he was supposed to be to her. He was supposed to protect her and the realization he hadn't made him infuriated. It wasn't anger directed at her, but at himself, and he supposed she had seen that in his eyes.
The male could feel her body lean in closer to him and he knew she was trying to get a better look at his face. He couldn't meet her eyes. It was too painful. All he could do was keep his eyes closed and hope she wouldn't get any closer to him or press the issue. He should have known better though. This was Sakura, after all.
"Why won't you look at me?" she softly asked, and his skin burned when her timid fingertips made contact with his cheeks. He allowed her to pull his face toward her so she could look at him more clearly. Even with his eyes closed, he imagined her green eyes looking over his face diligently, as if trying to make out and memorize every little detail his features had to offer. His face was on fire and his body wouldn't stay still, fidgeting on its own. His hands had fallen back down to his knees some time before, he couldn't recall when; too conscious of the being next to him to notice the small movements his body was making.
"Please." she practically whispered, and the soft word caused his breathing to halt. "Look at me."
He couldn't disobey her. The command was so gentle and earnest, it was heart-wrenching. He couldn't fight against her, couldn't tell her 'no'. Slowly, Ace opened his dark eyes, and they settled on the jade ones in front of him. They were the same as when he had seen her a few days ago, but different somehow… Only a foot of distance was between them, and she wouldn't allow him to look away from her. Her gaze had captured him, and he wasn't going anywhere. He knew that and he couldn't bring himself to care.
The moment their eyes had met, he had felt a calm wash over him. All of the anxiety he felt, the nausea, the anger, the pain, all of it had vanished when he looked into her eyes. They were gentle and soothing, soft and beautiful. They held a sad and lonely beauty.
That was when it dawned on him. This girl, who was his little sister, who had no memories of him, was reaching out to him. She had been through a pain so horrible that it had caused the fire within her to nearly die, but here she was now, extending her hand out to him so she wouldn't have to be alone anymore. And he had nearly turned her away completely… He was such a dumbass!
Ace had to force himself from reaching out toward her and wrapping his arms around her. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to embrace her tightly. He wanted her to cry her eyes out into his shoulder while he held her protectively. He couldn't save her from what was in her past, but he could help her now. He could help her now…
He wasn't aware his gaze had softened, and he was staring at her with a weak expression, his brow furrowed and his lips slightly parted. He did notice how her eyes continued to stare into his own unwaveringly. It was odd. It was as if she were looking into him and searching for something specific. Her gaze continued and though it was still gentle and filled with worry, it was hard and stern.
"I feel like you can see through to my soul." The words left him softly, without him even realizing it and when they registered in his mind after floating through the space between them for a moment, his eyes widened in surprise.
The girl's eyes had widened also, not expecting that sort of comment from him. What happened next stunned the male even further. Sakura had lowered her hands from his cheeks and brought one up to her mouth, barely covering an amused smile. Her eyes were closed, and a soft chuckle left her lips before it slowly grew into quiet laughter.
Onyx eyes blinked at the scene before him and above all else, the fire-user felt immense relief. She was laughing and though it was soft, it was genuine. It was the first time he had heard her laugh in years. It was the first time he had seen her smile in such a long time. Ace cherished the moment, and he wanted her to show more emotion. So, the man did the one thing that he knew would get under her skin. He would rile up that temper of hers.
"Shut up. You shouldn't laugh at someone with that big ass forehead of yours."
"No! This is bullshit!" the pinkette screamed, her fists clenched in anger by her sides. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously at the man before her, and her teeth were gritted to the point of almost breaking.
Sakura seethed in anger, and she could hear voices echoing throughout the room, vaguely aware she was arguing with the Hokage. While words left her mouth, tears slid down her cheeks and the only thing she could focus on was the despair curling around her chest. It filled her with a dense agony, and she felt like she was drowning.
Her entire body had erupted in painful, scolding tremors while feelings of failure and rage filled her heart. She couldn't do anything right. She had gotten herself in this situation and now Katsuyu was dying. Despite what Kankuro had said, these people hadn't believed in her. It was obvious in the way they looked at her, with sympathy.
She was a dead kunoichi. She was withered and broken with no hope of returning to her former glory. She was just waiting to die following a myth. That was how they saw her, she knew it.
The physical pain to her body didn't register in her mind, even as her body started to collapse to the floor and her mind went blank. Sakura's body fell to the floor in a heap, twitching harshly with spasms even with her unconscious mind. Multiple ran toward her at that point, shouting out for her. Blood fell from her mouth continuously and this time, it also exited through her nose and eyes.
Her body was dying.
This was it…
Deep within the despair of all these discoveries, without even realizing, she had given up…
She was carried to the infirmary, multiple medics in the room working on different sections of her body. Tsunade was outside of the operating room and despite wanting to tend to her pupil, she had to keep Naruto out of the room while they operated on her. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Ino had followed suit, worried for the woman while Shizune stood by her side, tending to her body.
Unlike the last time she had been in this hospital, restraints weren't needed to keep her down. After she had been placed into the room on the bed, her body had gone limp. Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing calmed. The blood exiting her body had slowed and almost completely stopped. "Tsunade-sama!"
She was dying…
Her body was falling into a calm slumber, giving in to the despair that plagued her soul. A despair that had been forming for the entirety of her life.
She had been bullied as a child by her peers. She had been protected and pushed aside as a teammate. She had been neglected by her teacher. She had been betrayed by the person she loved most.
Naruto and Sasuke had never really treated her as a true comrade. Kakashi had never treated her as a real student. When it came to Team Seven, to the one thing she had felt she was truly apart of, she was alone. She was so utterly alone…
She had tried so hard to get where she was before the accident and then when her abilities were taken from her, they didn't believe in her.
Naruto always had the Kyuubi and Sasuke always had his Kekkai Genkai, but what did she have…? Nothing… When things got rough, they always had something to turn to, someone to turn to. Whether it was a giant beast made of chakra or a bloodline trait from family. They always had something to help them out. But what did she have…? Nothing…
When her chakra was taken from her, she was a normal person. She didn't have any strength. She didn't have anybody to encourage her. She didn't have any teammates to encourage her to become stronger. They didn't expect anything from her. They didn't believe in her… It had always been like that.
She had always struggled and suffered on her own…
So why should now be any different?
Because she was dying…?
Deep within the recesses of her mind as her subconscious was surrounded by darkness, Sakura realized she had always been alone.
She had a loving family and friends, but when it came to what defined her, she was alone, and now she was going to die…
She was going to die… Alone and in despair…
Sakura was curled around herself in the darkness, her body naked and though she didn't pay attention to it, her body had reverted to its original size, before she had reverted back to a child. Her skin was bare, free of all the scars she had earned, free of the red tattoo of ANBU on her right shoulder, free of the purple rhombus on her forehead. Her pink hair floated and curled behind her in a crescent shape, stopping before the tips reached the back of her thighs.
Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them. Her forehead was on her knees, her eyes closed and her brows eased. Her body was resting, floating along aimlessly in the sea of darkness. Her body tilted and turned, but she didn't know what was up or down, left or right.
Everything was endless and she was alone in this dark world.
But why should this place be any different? It was her soul, wasn't it? Her heart. Her mind.
She wasn't even worth being pitied over.
There was no great loss to Konoha if she were to die. Tsunade could find another pupil just like her and they would take her place. Kakashi never treated her like a student, Naruto only cared about her because of his relationship and rivalry with Sasuke. Sasuke didn't love her, had even tried to kill her twice, and Ino could always find another best friend, if she hadn't already.
Her existence wasn't necessary, so why? Why was she still hanging on? What was it that kept her body floating there in the darkness? Hadn't she suffered enough? If not as a shinobi, then as a slave. Hadn't she been through enough? The loneliness, the suffering, the pain. The humiliation. The sorrow. The despair.
All she had wanted was for them to be together as a team. All she had wanted was to be treated like an actual comrade by the ones she loved. She wanted to suffer beside them. She wanted to cry beside them. To laugh beside them. To move forward beside them. She didn't want to be protected or to be treated as inferior, even if she was weaker than them.
Sakura wanted to have a place among them… She didn't want to die alone… Maybe that was too much to ask for… Why was she still here…? She just wanted to die and yet she didn't want to.
"You're not going to die!"
Jade eyes snapped open and her head tilted upward, her gaze settling on the darkness in front of her. Sakura had heard it, even if it was faint. The sound of a voice so familiar, yet so different.
She had heard it before, hadn't she?
"Get up, Sakura!" the voice encouraged her, louder than before. Although the voice sounded younger than she remembered, she knew from deep within her soul.
"Luffy?"
Sakura turned toward the sound more, her back straightening and her gaze looking in front of her and up into the abyss slightly above her. Her legs lowered so she could have stood if there had been any ground. Her feet curled behind her, her knees bending slightly and her hair floated around her in slow, sensual waves.
"You made a promise, remember?" he questioned her, his voice urgent and filled with concern. "So you can't die yet!"
The pinkette brought her hands to her mouth, the fingertips touching the skin underneath her bottom lip. Her lips were parted in a small frown while her brow furrowed in sorrow. She felt an overwhelming emptiness hit her and she felt the need to apologize.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry."
Sakura turned her head downward, her palms covering her eyes and she closed them, beginning to cry. The tears slid from her eyes and floated into the air around her once they escaped the confines of her hands. "I'm sorry."
"I can't remember." she muttered; her voice laced with agony.
She didn't want to do this anymore. She had been fighting against the world and she had lost… She had been fighting for herself and she had lost…
Why did Luffy's voice have to appear now? Why couldn't he leave her alone?
"No!" he yelled, "Get up!"
Were these memories? Sakura felt a warmth embrace her and she raised her head once again, lowering her hands in front of her while her gaze fluttered upward. In the spot she had looked at previously, in the place of the dark, was a dim, growing light. The tears continued to fall from her green eyes and the light started to reflect in her sorrow-filled eyes.
"Get up!" he repeated, more urgent this time, but the concern was gone. "Get up!" In its place was an undying faith.
The light began to grow brighter, slowly spreading out and covering the darkness surrounding it. "Get up, Sakura!"
Warmth continued to spread throughout the woman's body and a gentle weight settled around her shoulders, as if someone had wrapped their arms around her in a loving embrace.
"I know you can do it!"
Those words were what blew the darkness away, the light having exploded in an array of brightness, knocking the dark shadows away. It spread outward for eternity, the force having blown the pinkette's hair back so that it whipped around behind her. It also left her breathless, her floating tears having been swept away by the current. Her now dry eyes blinked ahead of her and a strength she hadn't known settled inside of her heart.
All it took was the faith and belief in those encouraging words for her to find her strength. To be told by someone firsthand they believed in her, to be told to get up, and to feel the sincerity in those words…
It brought forth a wave of emotions within the female. Her will had hardened. She will live… She needed to hear those words from him. At the very least… she needed to know if he considered her his nakama.
The pinkette abruptly sat up on the bed, alarming the medics surrounding her. Sakura kept her body straightened while the medics tried to push her back down. "You need to lay down." they told her, authority and concern lacing their tones while they gave her orders. They succeeded for a few moments to push her back down to lay on the bed.
Sakura lashed out toward them with her arms and with her eyes clenched shut, her voice reached a whole new volume as she practically roared, "Enough!" The medics in the room immediately ceased all movement out of sheer astonishment and some in fear.
Only a moment after her outburst, the shinobi outside of the room charged in, bursting open the doors to see what had happened. The large room now occupied over ten people, including the pinkette, and all of them watched as the small female pushed herself up and ripped out the I.V.s in her arms and legs. She didn't seem to even notice the blood that flew out of the skin as she did so.
Although Tsunade should have been questioning what the pinkette thought she was doing or why the medics were just standing there, she couldn't take her eyes off the female. Something stopped her and she had no idea what kind of force it was.
Blood vessels on Sakura's body began to pop underneath the pressure as she began to stand up. The red liquid fell from her mouth and tears rolled down her cheeks as her teeth gritted. Her body trembled as she continued to push herself up.
"I'm…" she began before straightening herself all the way. Her fists clenched at her sides in determination and the next moment, she was leaning forward with her eyes clenched shut. "not gonna die!"
At her declaration, a shock wave escaped from her body and bounced around the room. A thick and commanding aura left everyone speechless as it rippled through the air. Everyone stood still and the higher leveled shinobi still didn't move, even as the medics that had been working on her lost consciousness. Their bodies fell down to the ground with a thud as if the life had been knocked out of them.
Not even bothering to register what she had just done, though no one in the room knew the answer to that, Sakura straightened and turned her gaze to the ceiling above her. Her pink brow was furrowed and tears continued to slide down her cheeks, leaving her eyes swollen and red in their wake. Her teeth were gritted and she looked unreachable to the others. She was in a world of her own, her thoughts settling on something none of them could fathom.
Sakura relaxed her body and features, but was frowning, before looking over at Tsunade, not even registering the dumbstruck expressions of the shinobi looking at her. "Shishou, will you summon Katsuyu-sama for me?" she asked softly, "I want to talk to her for myself."
Tsunade could only nod her head at her former protégé and within twenty minutes, the unconscious medics had been placed into their own rooms by the others. They had been checked and the former Hokage had been informed they were fine, only knocked out. Sakura had allowed Shizune to tend to the damage done to her body with this recent attack. She had also gotten a glimpse within the younger woman's body, discovering every bit of damage she had sustained throughout the years. Shizune had been mortified when she noticed everything and though the others had questioned the look on her face, she hadn't said anything. She would tell Tsunade about it later. It would only cause chaos to break out even further amongst the group.
During the time that the dark-haired woman healed the pinkette, Sakura had turned her calm gaze over to Sasuke, who stood to the side of the room. His dark eyes had been on her, taking in her features curiously and cautiously. His brow was furrowed in thought as if he had wanted to say something.
'Sasuke-kun.' she thought, 'I wonder if he waited for me.' Jade eyes turned downward solemnly and she knew that if he had, she would feel guilty about it. Deep down, she hoped he had moved on… That he hadn't waited for her return. She had left after all. She didn't know how long her journey was going to take and she should have prepared everything beforehand. They should have already been divorced long ago. The pinkette lowered her hand to her side, where his sword still rested in the sash tied around her waist. She gripped the sheathe in her small hand, surprised it hadn't fallen off from everything that had happened. She still had his shirt inside of her own, could feel the material rubbing up against her stomach.
It only took ten more minutes for them to go outside into the open field behind the hospital. Doing as Sakura had asked and not sure why she was following the pinkette's requests, Tsunade summoned Katsuyu. It only took a brief moment for a large portion of the slug to appear in front of them. Her body was slumped over, looking weak and rugged while her head was on the ground. She was too weak to even keep her head up and the pure white that had covered most of her body was now a dingy yellow. The bright blue lines had turned into an off-brown color and purple lines stretched and whipped around underneath the yellow skin. Her eyes drooped downward while an oozy substance left her closed mouth.
She looked horrible… and there was a putrid odor coming off her body, which had Naruto covering his nose and mouth with his hand, trying not to gag.
Tsunade and Shizune had seen the slug before, but her appearance came as a surprise to the others that were there. Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino. All of them were shocked and horrified at the condition Katsuyu was in.
Sakura wasn't though… She wasn't at all surprised to see how horrible Katsuyu looked and she knew the slug felt even worse than she looked. She knew because she had gone through the same thing. Both of their bodies were dying, both of them were in constant pain, and both of them were trying their hardest to survive. Her pink brow was furrowed and she felt awful for what she was about to ask of the slug, but…
"Sakura-chan," the slug began, her voice weak and raspy, "I'm glad to see you're fine."
Sakura furrowed her brow further and if she hadn't been about to act so selfishly, she would have smiled. How foolish of her to think she was alone… "I'm sorry, Katsuyu-sama," the pinkette began, her expression and her will hardening, but her voice remained calm and gentle, "but will you please die with me?"
Katsuyu herself was surprised while everyone else was shocked to hear those words and they settled around them for a moment, before they sunk into the quicker minds. Shizune was the first to speak up, her dark brows furrowed and a frown on her lips, "Sakura, do you have any idea what you're asking?!"
The pinkette ignored her older sister's words, though she did process them. She knew what she was asking was crazy and would no doubt have a serious effect for the entire shinobi world, but this was something she felt she had to do. "Please, Katsuyu-sama, I'm grateful for all that you've done so far, but I still need your help."
Sakura still had her brow furrowed and she clenched her fists, determination radiating from her small and weak body. Every word she spoke was true. She really was grateful and she knew that she couldn't continue to fight without the slug's help. "I still haven't accomplished my goal."
The others watched as Sakura spoke to the large slug before her while everyone else stood back, waiting and listening. "I'm sorry it's taken so long," she apologized, sincerity in her voice, "and that you've suffered because of me."
Sakura's voice grew slightly louder, her green eyes narrowed and her fist being lifted to grip her shirt over her heart. "But I don't want that suffering to be all for nothing."
She let go of her shirt and spread out her arms to the sides slightly before continuing, "I won't die, not until I reach my goal."
All hesitation that had been within her was gone. She wasn't going to die.
"So believe in me." Sakura held out her arms to the sides fully, spreading out her fingers and letting the wind caress them. It blew around them and ruffled everyone's hair behind them. The wind also blew Katsuyu's dying scent toward them, but no one noticed anymore. Everyone was watching the scene in front of them in wonderment and anticipation.
"Please lend me your strength to protect the people precious to me!" Sakura continued and though she knew Katsuyu had already given her more than enough strength over the years, she felt her very existence riding on the wind. She needed her help more than ever now. Something was going to happen, something was going to change, whether it be for better or worse. Whether she died or lived, she wouldn't be able to do anything unless she had Katsuyu's help.
"You will suffer alongside me through everything! So please, I'm begging you!" Sakura leaned forward in a bow, her arms lowered by her sides, and her eyes clenched shut tightly. On the verge of breaking down into tears, she yelled, "Have faith in me!"
The wind blew around them, harsher than before and yet gentle at the same time. It stroked her cheeks before running through her hair. It carried the silence around them and twirled it around, before settling in a place further away. Nobody moved and nobody said anything. All present were taken aback by the pinkette and her declaration. Her words had conveyed a strength there that had not been shown previously. Her body stayed bowed in a show of respect, determination, and desperation.
"Of course, I will."
Jade eyes immediately snapped open and she straightened until her back was straight and her eyes landed on the glazed over ones of the slug before her. Her words echoed around in Sakura's mind and a bright, relieved smile spread across her lips. Bowing her head and closing her eyes, she said, "Thank you."
Now all she could do was make sure that Katsuyu wouldn't regret her decision.
~SCENE CHANGE~
"What do you mean you can't send me back?!" Sakura yelled as her eyes narrowed at the male Hokage in front of her. They were still outside after she had made her request to Katsuyu. After the slug had disappeared to return to the remainder of her body, Sakura had asked Kakashi to return her to Alabasta. She had figured he had thought everything through before she was summoned back to Konoha. She couldn't have been more wrong.
Where was Kankuro, now that she thought about it? He was the one that had brought her here and now he was nowhere in sight.
More importantly, why the hell couldn't they send her back? She didn't have time for this. Ace was still in that village and was probably wondering where she went off to. Even if he wasn't worried about her, she didn't want to just abandon him without a word.
"The jutsu we used was only a one-way teleportation." Kakashi explained, his brow furrowed, and a frown hidden behind his mask. He felt bad for dragging her away from where she was at, but there was nothing he could do for her now. She had to hear this news and he had honestly expected her to accept the cure instead of furthering both her own and Katsuyu's suffering. Even if it had been a goal for years, the Sakura he knew would have thrown herself aside and given up her dreams in order to protect someone else. Although he knew that she was as stubborn as one could get and that she had told Katsuyu she wanted to protect others, he couldn't bring himself to believe this was the same girl he had once trained.
The Sakura looking back at him with her eyes narrowed in determination, though smaller in stature and hardly a threat to him, was a true woman. She had grown up, both mentally and spiritually. She had endured things he could only imagine. As his dark eyes stared into hers, he could see that. She had changed.
She was stronger now. She was much harder to break.
"I don't care what you said," she retorted, her tone sharp and holding a bit of sass. "Find some way to send me back this instant!"
From the way she was speaking, one would think she would throw her hands on her hips and stomp her foot on the ground in a fit and if she were to have done that, Kakashi would have found it adorable, if only the situation weren't so serious.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. I can't do it." he replied while the others continued to listen and watch.
The pinkette clenched her fists by her sides and narrowed her eyes ahead of her. She gritted her teeth, frustration ebbing at her nerves, the cells in her arms twitching and tempting her to reach forward to punch the man in front of her. The only reason why she didn't was because she could tell he truly felt bad for her situation. That, and the fact she needed to hear the news about Katsuyu. If they had just summoned her to tell her they found a cure, then she really would have gone berserk.
There was no way she would give up on finding Law. Not after all she had been through, not after she had spent so much time looking for him. There was also something else that was starting to prickle at the back of her subconscious since she had woken up a little less than a hour ago. It was just barely there, but she could definitely hear it. She could definitely feel it. It was something that shined there with the slightest bit of hope and it kept her from breaking down. Kept her from giving up for good.
There was another reason why she was looking for this mystery man… but what was it?
"Sakura."
Jade eyes quickly turned to look at the man that had called her, shivers running down her spine as his deep voice caressed her eardrums. Oh, how she had missed that voice. She missed it, but she didn't long for it like she used to. Her eyes met deep onyx, dark hair parted to the side to cover the circled designs of a purple eye. His lips were set into a thin, calm line and he still wore that dark cloak over his clothes with black, open-toed boots.
Sakura turned her body toward him completely, disregarding the other shinobi that were there. "Sasuke." she replied softly, her body relaxed and her eyes looking at him steadily. She had calmed down by just him saying her name. It was amazing what power he had over her with just the simplest of things sometimes, even after all this. She knew her feelings had wavered quite a bit since she last saw him before she left on her journey, but her loyalty to him as his wife and lover hadn't in the slightest.
She had no intention of falling in love with anyone else if she could help it or to be with anyone else. The pinkette only wanted the divorce for his sake.
To set him free.
As much as she would have liked to think he had moved on with his life, she knew better. No one loved more than an Uchiha and they were loyal to a fault. Whether to family, to ideals, to dreams, or to lovers. They were loyal.
And Sasuke was loyal to her. She could tell by looking into those deep, dark eyes. There was no guilt there whatsoever, nothing there to tell her that he had fallen in love with someone else.
"I can send you back."
"Eh?" the pinkette responded, her eyes widening slightly, not having expected that response. Her eyebrows shot up and her mouth parted while her heart skipped a bit in relief and anticipation. As much as she loved being able to see him again and the opportunity to catch up with him was tempting, she really had to get back to where she had been. However, before she could do that, there was something she had to do, and it involved the dark-haired man.
"I want a divorce." It slipped out before she could have possibly controlled it enough to stop it. Her eyes widened in sync with everyone else's, surprise spreading throughout the area and leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
Jade eyes were having a staring contest with onyx, showing Sasuke had been surprised by her outburst as well. Embarrassment swam through the pinkette's stomach and cheeks, turning them a bright pink. Quickly turning her head, Sakura adverted her eyes from the male and settled on looking at the grass to the side. Bringing up her hands, her fingers laced together in front of her stomach and fidgeted. What an awful thing to say to him after he had just offered to send her back to her new friends. He probably thought she was ungrateful.
"It's just that…" she began awkwardly, nervousness poking through her soft voice. She would risk looking up at his expression every few moments to gauge his reaction and she was relieved to see he had calmed down. It showed he was listening to her and waiting for her to explain herself. "Um…"
The Uchiha closed his eyes, and a soft smile adorned his lips while he let out a shallow breath. His gaze returned to meet her own and with his head tilted slightly, he continued to smile at her. "Follow me."
Sakura lowered her hands to her sides and blinked as the man turned and began to walk away. Following after him immediately, anticipation and anxiety stirred in her stomach, making it burn. Her skin itched and her mind wandered. What was he planning on doing? Where was he taking her to?
The pinkette followed behind him silently, watching his back as he continued to walk in front of her. He seemed so calm, so confident, so much stronger than before. If she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn he had grown taller as well. Then again, it had been seven years. She had left when she was nineteen, so he should have been due for another growth spurt.
It didn't take long to get further into the village, and she watched as he stopped in front of a door to a large house. On the walls on both sides of the front door was the Uchiha crest, large, bold, and full of pride. The male opened the door while the female finished catching up to him. Turning the knob and pushing the door open, he stepped aside and looked back at the pinkette, a small smile on his lips. He was holding the door open for her.
Sakura instantly raised her shoulders in embarrassment while a blush colored her cheeks. A soft, sweet smile grazed her mouth, and she kept her eyes downcast while she walked forward. Stepping past the door, she entered a large hallway that had closed doors attached to each side aligning all the way down to the end of the hall. Green eyes blinked in astonishment.
"I live here by myself." he spoke up from behind her and she turned her head to look at him as he walked past her. He continued down the hall without taking off his shoes and the female followed after him. The halls were bland so there wasn't much to look at. She was content with keeping her gaze on the back of his form. "Naruto used to live here before he married Hinata."
Sakura widened her eyes in surprise at the news. "They got married?"
"Un." he replied before stopping in front of a wooden, sliding door. Pulling it open, he stepped inside and watched as she followed.
"That's good." Sakura said while smiling softly down at the ground, which was now covered with carpet instead of wood. It was about time they had gotten together. At least they had moved on with their lives. Not that she expected them to stop moving forward because she had left. She was happy for them.
Sakura looked up to see the dark-haired male make his way to a dark grey couch in the middle of the living room. It was a large room, a coffee table in the very center, a couch on two sides of it opposite each other. On the other side of her was a large fireplace, the mantle filled with pictures of their team, of Naruto on his wedding day, old pictures of his family, of him and Itachi. Pictures of her and of their wedding day.
The sight almost brought tears to her eyes, a burning sensation behind them and her throat constricted painfully with a sudden dryness. Sasuke turned his silent gaze to her, expectation hidden behind his dark eyes. Swallowing a thick lump that had made its way into her throat and forcefully drowning out her nervousness, she made her way forward. Her gaze was downcast, and her hands were folded in front of her stomach. Guilt and an awkward sense of shame ate at her heart. With those feelings stirring around inside of her, she sat down on the couch opposite him, her legs and fingers trembling.
"Sakura."
"Hai." she squeaked, causing her brow to furrow and her mouth to set into a grimace at the high-pitched noise.
"Come." he replied simply and jade eyes looked up to see him holding up his hand lazily, palm facing downward. His body was leaning slightly to the side, making himself comfortable against the soft back of the couch. Not even thinking of the possibility of disobeying him, Sakura instantly rose to her feet. Almost dragging them across the carpet, she made her way to the spot next to him and sat down.
Sakura kept her gaze downward, her hands fidgeting in her lap and her back and legs stiff. She was so nervous. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? How should she react to this situation?
"I-" she began but was interrupted by the man next to her.
"I didn't know if you were still alive."
Green eyes widened at the confession and her head turned so that she was looking at the side of the Uchiha's handsome face. He was frowning, his eyes aimed at the table in front of him, but he wasn't really looking at it. "I wanted to believe you were." His voice was soft, and she could tell he still wasn't used to speaking from the heart.
His fists clenched at the material of his cloak over his thighs, but he relaxed almost before it could be registered as a movement at all. "I'm glad you're alive and I was preparing myself for a divorce for a long time. The time away from everything must have finally opened your eyes."
Sakura wasn't sure how to take in what she was hearing. How was she supposed to digest this? How was she supposed to understand what he meant? Finally, she just asked, "What do you mean?"
Sasuke turned his head, his eyes looking straight into hers. They were a lighter onyx than before, almost a deep grey, and stormy with emotion. His mouth was set into a firm frown, and she could see the sadness in his expression, even if he did hide it well. "You deserve happiness, Sakura."
Eh?
"I know you've been loyal to me from the very beginning." he added, gratitude echoing through his words. "I'm sorry for all that I've put you through."
Did he…? Did he think she…?
Turning, Sakura leaned upward toward the dark-haired male and put her hands on his thighs. The height difference or how small her own body was compared to his didn't register in her mind at that moment. All that mattered was that he knew the truth. The real reason why she wanted to break apart from him.
"Do you think I want the divorce because I don't love you anymore?!" she asked, a small amount of desperation in her tone and eyes.
Sasuke seemed genuinely taken aback and his wide eyes showed how confused he was. "What else could it be?"
"That's wrong!" she replied, leaning forward more and her voice rising in volume, but she wasn't yelling. "I do still love you." she confessed, "More than anyone else. Even after all this time."
Pink eyebrows furrowed and she frowned as the male continued to look at her in astonishment. "I want the divorce so that you won't be tied down." Blinking, the female tried so hard not to cry at that very moment. She was letting go of what she had yearned for and loved for so many years. It hurt more than she ever could have imagined, like letting go a part of her very soul. "I want you to find someone else that can make you happy."
She couldn't stop it any longer, tears overflowed down the sides of her eyes and down her cheeks. A deep flush covered the skin over her nose and her brow was furrowed deeply at that point. So many emotions had built up within her chest until they burst. Her eyes were still sore from having cried earlier, but now they stung from the salty liquid flowing from them. Her lips were set into a deep frown and her ears burned. Her fingers gripped into the fabric at his thighs as if desperate not to let this man slip through her grasp.
It felt like a hand had reached into her chest and gripped her heart, squeezing it with its sharp nails before twisting it around in a game of tug. A hand that belonged to her. She was causing this pain and that hurt even more, but she had to be strong and get through this, despite the heartache it caused.
"To make you happy the way I couldn't." she admitted, the feelings of guilt and shame making themselves known to her companion. "You shouldn't have to wait years for a lover that might not even be alive." It didn't escape the Uchiha that she had completely disregarded the fact that he had once done that very thing to her, twice even, yet she had still held on and waited for him with a painful and lonely love in her heart.
Sasuke's expression softened at the words the pinkette uttered and a deep adoration set in within his chest, causing his heart to flutter. It was then he remembered that she had always thought of him before herself. That was what made her unlike every other woman. Out of all the women that had desired him or liked him, only Sakura had loved him unconditionally. That was why, even if they parted, there would always be a place in his heart for her. In his own way, he would always love her.
He didn't see a child before him at that moment. He saw the woman that had given up so much, had suffered so much, all because she loved him. The woman that had filled his lonely existence with love and he had fallen for her in return. It was true he did not act on that love like most others or express it with words like she would have liked, but there was one way to show his affection for her.
With a soft smile on his lips, he lifted his hand and reached across him toward the pinkette. He watched as her eyes slightly widened while her gaze followed his hand. Reaching her, he poked his index and middle fingers on her forehead over her seal. Her eyes had shifted back toward him and without fail, the flush on her face deepened to cover her cheeks.
"Thank you." he replied softly, eternally grateful to her unyielding loyalty and love for him.
It was true that she could always come back to the village and settle down with him now that they had the cure for her, but neither of them wanted such a thing. Sasuke didn't want all those years to go to waste either. Sakura had chosen her path long ago and she was prepared to face death and whatever sufferings life would throw at her. He would accept her decision and though he hated to think about it…
This was goodbye.
~SCENE CHANGE~
"Are you sure you want to do this, Sakura?" a smooth and concerned voice spoke up from in front of the pinkette.
Sakura nodded her head and with determination set into her slightly narrowed eyes, she confirmed, "Ah."
Tsunade stood in front of her in the dark room, an old office with bookshelves aligning each wall. There were old scrolls and books filling the shelves and some were stacked on the floors. A room that was only accessible to current or former Hokage, a room with many secrets and forgotten jutsu. It was hidden away in a passageway somewhere underneath the Hokage tower, hidden so that it couldn't be accidentally found.
The blonde woman wore a nervous and concerned expression, her brow furrowed and a frown on her lips as she held a small, red scroll in her hands in front of her. She didn't want her student to go through with this. She wanted the younger woman to stop this nonsense and come back to the village. To go back to being the top medic and helping children at her hospital. Who was she to deny someone of their dream though? An impossible dream. Just like Naruto.
Naruto and Sakura… They were just alike, which made Tsunade feel more confident that the pinkette would be okay. She just didn't like the outcome or what it would mean for the small woman.
"I have to admit, this idea of yours is brilliant." she said as she continued to look into that strong, green gaze. It truly was a great idea and something only Sakura could do, but it would have dire consequences. Sakura would survive if she pulled off the forbidden jutsu that was within the scroll in her hands. She would survive, but…
She could never go back to being a shinobi again.
"I'll be fine." Sakura said, tilting her head to the side and letting a small smile graze her lips. Her eyes were wide and bright, showing absolutely no hesitation in her decision. Everything had been cleared and she had found what she needed to do. What she wanted to do. She would risk everything she had, but she wouldn't be giving up her life. "I've made it this far."
Her lips curved at the corner, deepening her smile as she added, "A shinobi is one who endures, ne?" Tsunade's almond eyes widened as those words entered her ears and she watched as that smile on the pinkette's lips spread until they formed a bright, toothy grin, her green eyes closed. All the blonde could do was close her own eyes and let a smile form on her own mouth.
"Honestly." she breathed out on the verge of a sigh. There was no helping this situation or stopping it. The former kunoichi was going to do what she wanted no matter what. That much had been proven already. The least Tsunade could do was help her along the way.
Looking down at the female, their eyes met and the tension they had felt previously that day was completely gone. Holding out her arms, the scroll was presented to the younger woman for the taking. "Use it wisely, Sakura."
"Ah." the pinkette replied, a soft smile on her features and without hesitation, she took the scroll from her shishou. Pulling it close to her chest, she looked up to meet those almond eyes once again. "Thank you, Tsunade-shishou."
The blonde woman nodded her head before she leaned down. Wrapping her arms around the smaller woman, she pulled the fragile body close to her chest. Closing her eyes, she felt more than saw the surprise that coursed through Sakura. Tsunade held on tightly and she frowned at how frail the body in her arms had become, almost as if her former pupil would break if she tightened her embrace just a tad more.
It was painful…
'What happened to you, Sakura?' A solemn thought filled with dread and worry.
Tsunade opened her eyes a fraction when she felt arms wrap around her torso and small palms rest on her back, the pinkette relaxing into her hold. "Thank you for everything, Tsunade-sama."
"No matter what," Sakura continued, her voice soft, but laced with confidence and determination. "I will always carry on The Will of Fire."
Almond eyes closed and the older woman fought back the sting of tears as she quietly replied, "I know you will. I'm proud of you, Sakura."
~END OF CHAPTER FIVE~
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please look forward to the next one!