The thick raindrops stung Sasuke's face as he sped through the trees on horseback in desperate search of signs of his fiance or her captors. An entire day had passed since her disappearance. Hopes of her survival became slim hours ago, but he couldn't give up without confirming with his own eyes that yet another woman's life had been stolen by his fault.
'If I'd simply turned her away like I originally planned, none of this would've happened.'
But he didn't turn her away. No, not after she'd given him the first taste of hope he'd had in years. Sakura was the first person to hold a proper conversation with The Curse. She was also the first person to look at the second prince like he was a human being deserving of fair treatment since his banishment.
The guilt of endangering someone so kind-hearted and selfless fought with the urge to protect his own life in a wild war for dominance. Sasuke felt like maybe he was developing another persona other than The Curse and his usual self, one that was self-serving and recklessly frenzied. He feared he was losing his humility. In the past, Sasuke never would've given Sakura's request to become his bride and likely die a second thought. He'd have refused to see her face to face and ensured she safely disappeared.
'It's all that damned demon's fault. If only he hadn't become interested in her.'
The Curse had never spared humans any attention other than the urge to do sick and twisted things until he laid eyes on Sakura. He obviously felt those things toward her, too, but for some reason, he hadn't acted on those urges yet. He'd even gone out of his way to threaten others not to harm her.
In the distance, Sasuke caught a glimpse of something pale in his peripheral. Tugging the reins of his horse firmly, he turned to hurry in that direction. The poor beast released a high-pitched neigh while struggling to keep up with his demands.
As soon as he picked up on the slightest hint of pink on the forest floor, the prince slowed the steed enough that he could demount without harming himself and rushed in that direction, "Sakura!" His heart was beating loudly in his ears, so much so that he couldn't even hear the rain hitting the ground anymore.
Sasuke's blood ran cold when he got close enough to Sakura to make out details of her appearance. Her green eyes were half-lidded and dull. Her usually soft and silky hair was wet, dirty, and tangled with leaves and mud. That wasn't what had the prince rushing to his knees by her side to check her pulse and shake her shoulders. No, that'd be the blood pooling on her abdomen and the blood dripping steadily down the side of her pale neck.
"Over here!" He called as loud as possible, knowing the rest of the search party would find his horse soon enough whether he yelled or not.
"Sakura! Sakura, look at me! Wake up!" The air in his lungs got caught when he moved her cold hand from her side to see a massive stab wound, the source of the more significant blood. Her pulse was alarmingly slow and weak.
Tears stung the corners of his eyes as he pushed Sakura's wet hair out of her face and cupped her cheeks, searching her dull gaze for any sign that she was comprehending the world around her, "...I'm so sorry."
Even if he force-fed her a dozen healing potions right now, it wouldn't be enough to keep her alive.
He was too late.
Taking a deep breath, Sasuke forced himself to regain his composure. The least he could do was return her body to her family for a proper burial and hope she wasn't feeling the pain as she neared death's door. She had minutes left, if that.
Clearing his throat, the man got to his feet and jogged off to find his horse, guiding it over so he could somehow get the woman on it. He put his grief under lock and key because now wasn't the time to let it flow.
When he knelt beside Sakura again, though, he froze. Her eyes were closed. 'Did she close them herself? She shouldn't have been able to in this state.'
A faint green light suddenly erupted from the bleeding injuries on the woman's body, causing Sasuke to fall to his knees in disbelief. She was healing. The fatal injury to her abdomen was slowly bleeding less and less. He was in awe. Never in his life had he heard of someone being able to heal like that. The only thing that came close was the healing potions her family manufactured.
The thought snapped the Uchiha man from his daze, and he hurried to the satchel hanging from the horse's saddle, quickly procuring one of the aforementioned potions. The faint sound of horse's approaching met his ears, and he rushed to Sakura's side again, taking her head gently in his lap and whispering, "Swallow it. The others can't see you like this or they'll tell the king."
Even though he knew she couldn't hear him, Sakura did indeed swallow the potion as he carefully poured it into her mouth so she wouldn't choke. Just in time for the others to arrive, the faint green glow faded, leaving barely bleeding wounds on her neck and ribcage. Pale white skin showed where her ruined dress was torn.
Tossing the empty bottle aside, Sasuke felt for his fiance's pulse again, only to let out a sigh of relief. He bent over to rest his forehead against hers, whispering in an unstable voice, "I'll get you back to the castle. Rest now."
The soldiers offered to carry the pinkette on their horses, being more used to dealing with injured and dead human cargo, but the prince refused. The woman sat between his arms, her legs over one side of the horse while her head rested against his chest. Even covered in mud and soaked with rain water, she smelled as sweet as a field of flowers. Honestly, feeling her breathing against him was comforting. That, plus the odd way she'd healed herself earlier, was why he didn't want a single other person touching his fiance.
He ordered a handful of the soldiers from the search party to tear the forest apart to locate the men who'd taken Sakura, the men who'd injured a helpless woman. 'They'll think The Curse had taken over by the time I'm finished with them,' he thought to himself while carefully dismounting his steed and taking Sakura into his arms to carry her inside the castle.
Itachi and Madara rushed to follow him up the stairs toward the bedrooms, the king speaking first, "Explain what happened, Nephew. Did you meet with the criminals responsible?"
"Is Lady Haruno alright? How severe are her injuries?" Itachi asked immediately after.
Sasuke ignored them both, kicking their room's door open and barking at the maids tidying up inside, "Prepare a bath for The Lady," he glanced back at his family members, "If you'll excuse me. I'd like to tend to my fiance."
The first prince's mouth opened as though he wanted to object, but the king cut him off with an understanding, serious expression, "I'll send for her family. They'll surely bring stronger healing potions for their daughter." The two royals excused themselves from the room.
Sasuke followed the maids into the massive bathing room when they requested it, carefully passing a still-unconscious Sakura off to them. He hesitated to leave, though. The two women shared a look before the blue-haired one bowed her head and spoke in a monotone voice, "We'll take care of things from here, My Lord."
Knowing it'd be unacceptable to be present while she was being bathed, Sasuke left the room. He sighed once the door was closed behind him, running a hand through his messy, damp hair. His dark eyes were tired as he turned to stare at the door with a frown.
'I should've known there was something special about her when she snuck into my room to beg for death and The Curse refused.'
Sasuke wasn't completely sure why, but he felt as though he had to hide what happened in the forest from anyone and everyone, especially his family. He had no proof that his uncle had bad intentions. All he had was his instincts, and they were screaming to take Sakura and get her out of the castle as soon as possible. Sasuke was sure, however, that danger of some form resided here.
Never before had the prince wished to be back at the manor in the Winterlands of Konoha, secluded from the rest of the world. At least there, he knew who he could trust. He knew which of the staff members were loyal to him and those who behaved solely out of fear or loyalty to the crown. Most of all, he knew it'd be easier to protect himself and Sakura in a familiar place. This castle, the one where his family has flourished for generations, did not feel welcoming. The place should feel like home, but it doesn't. All Sasuke could see were glimpses of his distant past, most coming from the night of his cursing.
An entire day passed.
Sakura didn't wake from her slumber the entire time, though her condition didn't worsen. Sasuke barely left her side. Something told him her kidnapping wasn't as cookie-cutter as it appeared. It felt as though someone in the castle knew something, and he wasn't confident in a single one of the castle's residents. So, even when Sakura's family arrived at the castle the evening after her rescue, Sasuke stayed in the room with her.
A knock came at the door. The prince nodded at Konan, the maid in charge of looking after his fiance, so she'd answer it. When she did, an anguished wail met his ears. The sheer volume of it startled the Uchiha man, and he rose from his seat, turned around, and stepped aside in awe as a redheaded young woman crossed the room to throw herself over the side of Sakura's bed in tears, "Big sister!"
'This must be Haruka,' he thought while staring at the sobbing girl, who was holding the pinkette's hand between both of hers, 'I thought their relationship wasn't good, but she truly seems distraught.'
Someone cleared their throat, and Sasuke snapped out of his stupor. He reached out to shake who could only be Kizashi Haruno's hand, "I'm Sasuke Uchiha. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
'One of the only benefits of my circumstances is that I've never had to meet any parents or families of my fiances. This is so very uncomfortable.'
The tan-skinned man with dull pink hair grinned, "It's an honor to meet our great country's prince."
"Hihara Haruno," A tall, muscular man with red hair and dark green eyes suddenly held out his hand, interrupting the greeting.
Instantly, Sasuke became irritated by this "Hihara" person's overwhelming confidence. He may have been banished from the castle at age twelve, but even he knew it was improper to interrupt one's father. Kizashi said nothing of it, so the prince shook his hand, squeezing it maybe a little too hard and narrowing his eyes, "I'd hoped our first meeting would be in a more positive environment."
"Yes," Kizashi sighed, turning his attention to his bedridden daughter with an odd facial expression, "Well, Sakura has always been resilient. I'm sure she'll recover in a timely fashion."
Sasuke's eyes darted to the doorway, where Itachi had been standing to observe the room in silence. He barely masked his disbelief, subtly lifting a brow at his brother and thinking, 'His daughter was nearly murdered and all he has to say is that she'll heal quickly?'
Itachi's eyes narrowed as he shook his head, signaling not to insult the guests no matter how inappropriate their reactions were.
Barely biting back a sigh, the second prince turned to the still-crying redheaded girl, "You must be Haruka."
She sniffled, finally looking away from Sakura's face and up at him. Her blue eyes widened as though she'd seen a ghost, her lips parting in disbelief. Sasuke awkwardly avoided her gaze, turning his onto his fiance because the younger woman's stare made him feel uncomfortable.
"You must've been worried. I apologize for allowing her to enter such a state," he robotically said, unsure of what a normal person would talk about with their future in-laws, especially in this type of situation.
"You're Prince Sasuke?" Haruka asked breathlessly.
Sasuke looked at her again, only to grit his teeth in surprise. It was like a lion staring down it's prey. 'I can't tell what she wants from me, but she definitely wants something. Is it money? Reputation?'
"Don't be rude, Dear. Introduce yourself properly," Kizashi instructed.
The young woman gasped before getting to her feet, eyes suddenly dry of the tears that'd been falling endlessly just moments ago. She bowed deeply, her manicured fingers gripping her dress as she curtsied, "My name is Haruka Haruno, My Lord. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."
It became silent in the room as Sasuke struggled to figure out how to continue the conversation with the Haruno family. Moments later, he blurted out, "Did you bring potions?"
The two other men in the room shared a look before Hihara nodded, taking off his well-constructed satchel and pulling out an ornate box, handing it over, "These are extremely rare. Just one would bring a human from the brink of death." He offered the box to Sasuke, speaking as though reading from a script, "Please accept this as a symbol of respect from our family to yours."
If the words he spoke were true, they didn't sound it. In fact, Sasuke got the sense that his dislike of the only Haruno son was reciprocated if the look in his green eyes was anything to go by.
Regardless of the young man's personal feelings, Sasuke took the box and opened it to see three vials of bright green liquid, almost identical in shade to the odd light that'd shone from Sakura's wounds yesterday.
The memory put the prince's body in motion. He suddenly forgot about the others in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Carefully so as to not unnecessarily jostle Sakura, he uncapped one of the vials and brought it to her lips with one hand, lifting her head enough that she wouldn't choke with the other. It was silent as she drank it and even quieter once the vial was empty, and they waited with bated breaths for her to respond to the concoction.
"How long does it take for this potion to work?" Sasuke asked, turning his head to fix the Haruno men with a stern look.
Kizashi appeared uneasy, eyes dancing between his eldest daughter and her fiance, "It should show instant results…."
'Does that mean she isn't affected by it? What about her wounds? Are they healing?' He reached for Sakura's shirt, intending to unbutton it enough to check the injury to her neck, only to freeze when he remembered he wasn't alone. Swallowing hard, he gestured for Haruka, "Will you verify if her neck has healed? The left side."
Wordlessly, the young woman walked around to the other side of the bed and did as asked. Her blue eyes widened moments later once she'd unwrapped the bandaging, "It's still bleeding, My Lord." She shared a look with her family members that Sasuke interpreted as her communicating that they wouldn't be able to save Sakura.
Desperation that the prince didn't recognize flooded his veins. With his dark eyes set into a strong glare and his brows furrowed with concentration, he uncapped the second vial of potion.
Behind him, Kizashi said while watching him feed it to the pinkette, "My Lord, if one doesn't work, then using the other won't-" "Silence," Sasuke hissed, staring intently at the pink-haired woman once she'd successfully swallowed the second potion and waiting for any change.
When it didn't happen, he uncapped the third.
Hihara spoke this time, stepping forward to place a hand atop his and stop him from using it, "Your Highness, these are precious potions! Save them for someone they have a chance of helping!"
The Uchiha man's blood boiled with rage he'd only sensed come from Akuma, but it wasn't the demon. No, it was all him. His glare burnt into the redheaded man's, his voice laced with poison, "Remove your hand from me."
Hihara obeyed with a paling face.
Sasuke proceeded to force the third potion into Sakura's mouth, positively burning with anger. 'How can they call themselves her family when they're trying to stop me from doing all I can to save her?' His grip around the now-empty last vial tightened as his gaze lifted to Haruka, who was staring at him again. 'That girl's hands….There's not a scratch on them. Her clothes are new and of expensive quality.' The prince compared the image before him to what he'd seen of Sakura when she first arrived at his manor.
A low sound rumbled through his chest, akin to a growl, and he opened his mouth to speak his mind, only to choke on the words when Sakura groaned, weak coughs leaving her pale lips. All the anger and discontent evaporated when her pretty emerald eyes crept open. With trembling hands, the young woman covered her mouth, looking around in exhausted shock. When she saw Haruka, she tried to sit up.
Sasuke gently prevented it, feeling awkward since her family was watching, "Don't move. You're still healing."
The coughs slowed to a stop, and Sakura asked in a raspy, quiet voice, "...Where is Hana?"
The prince felt something negative, then, that he couldn't describe or identify, "Hana?"
She nodded, looking past him at her brother and father expectantly. Kizashi answered in a different voice than he'd been speaking with thus far, "She's at home with a fever, so she couldn't come along."
Sasuke's eyes didn't leave his fiance's face, 'The first thing she does upon waking up from almost being murdered is ask about her little sister? What about the men who attacked her? What about how she'd healed? Does she not care about anything else?'
That was when a flash of agonizing pain shot up the prince's spine. With wide eyes, he looked at the window and saw the sun was setting. Sakura seemed disoriented by the sudden appearance of her family, her thin fingers gripping the blanket tightly as she tried to make sense of the situation. He wanted to take her hand and comfort her because almost dying had to be traumatic, but he couldn't. Not with so many curious eyes around.
Leaving her with those he suspected neglected and abused her was the last thing he wanted to do, but if he didn't get out of the room soon, they'd witness his transformation. It was a full moon, too, so he wouldn't be able to come back after the shift lest they see The Curse's true form. Even Sakura had yet to see it.
Barely masking his pain, Sasuke reluctantly stood from the bed, regarding the room, "I'll retire for the evening so you can visit with your daughter. Please excuse me."
By the time he made it to one of the guest rooms, Sasuke wasn't able to hold back the sounds of pain tearing from his chest. Full moon transformations were substantially more painful than the rest because his entire body was affected.
Gasping for air and exhausted, ten minutes later, Akuma lay sweaty on the bathroom floor, surrounded by the shreds of his freshly destroyed shirt. He didn't get up because he knew there was nowhere to go tonight.
'If I leave this room and someone sees this form, it'll cause an uproar.'
He thought about his sacrifice lying defenseless in that room, surrounded by pitiful redheaded creatures. He spoke aloud, knowing the prince could hear and understand from the tiny cage holding his soul, "You absolute fool. You should've beheaded those filthy humans while you had the chance."
It was impossible for the prince to respond, and the duo couldn't hear one another's thoughts, but they'd been sharing a body long enough for Akuma to guess what his response would be. Something along the lines of, 'If it wasn't for you, I could still be in there protecting her.'
And it was true. Despite that fact, Akuma didn't blame himself. Why would he? He was a demon, far superior to any human. Sure, he had a soft spot for that pink-haired woman, but if he went out of the room and was spotted, it'd put this vessel, and his chance of completely taking it over, at risk.
So, knowing the risks, Akuma remained on the bathroom floor, glaring at the ceiling with glowing red eyes and imagining the many ways he'd torture and kill those Haruno pigs.