CHAPTER 17 - The pleading child

When Sakura was three, she once fell down the stairs. Her mother had picked her up and cooed through the child's pained sobs. Sakura remembered the colour of the green bandaid Mebuki had gently applied to her scraped elbow. She remembered it because of what had come after - a tight, warm, love-filled embrace.

When Sakura was ten, she once fell down the stairs. She remembered the pain because of what had come before. Mebuki had pushed her.

There were many faces in the Bingo Book. For such a small and geographically secluded village, Konoha had a surprisingly furnished list of deserters.

Some names had been infamous ever since Hashirama's time. Others were crossed out, in bold red or in black, whether they were deceased or handled. A few pages were blank, the wanted names erased from the criminal records, their owners forgiven in silence.

Tsunade loathed that book. It wasn't because of the faces, or the blatant evidence of unhappiness residing in the village, or the countless deaths recorded in it.

A third of the faces were still juvenile.

What had they all done to fail the ninjas in training?

And so, despite herself, whenever she had to add a new face to the Book, Tsunade felt relieved every time it sported a wrinkle or two. Any sign proving that the deserter wasn't a child.

But as she signed the last document, the Hokage could not contain a shiver as dread filled her every pore with cold cruelty. The person underneath her title of Hokage couldn't face it.

Warrant for the updated status of the following individuals:

Haruno Kizashi

Haruno Mebuki

They were held in a secure cell a mere kilometre away from here, but for administrative purposes, the Hokage had to inscribe their names into the Book. The Haruno husband and wife were traitors to the Leaf, not to be forgiven unless special circumstances proved otherwise, and therefore, captured or not, had to figure alongside their criminal peers in the Bingo Book.

Officially, a cross-country investigation could be launched. But how would the Hokage face her neighbours when she'd accuse them of teaching illegal ninjutsu to runaway civilians?

There was no proof, no sign whatsoever the wanted couple had received their abilities from another village. They could have picked them up during their extensive travels, but… They were old. The techniques Mebuki had deployed were on a level far beyond simple street skills. Such chakra control could not be obtained unless diligent training had helped forging it from a young age.

A diplomatic war couldn't be avoided anymore.

Three hours earlier

Naruto's heart leaped in his chest at the mention of his best friend's name. And yet, the familiar face of disappointment greeted him in place of wistful jade eyes. No matter how hard he squinted, the corridor was empty. He couldn't bring himself to voice his concern, aware of how much pain it would cause Sasuke; the man was staring into the darkness, eyes wide and watery as if his brother had revived.

The look on his face felt like a punch to Naruto's gut. He had rarely seen Sasuke express himself so nakedly. Who was he to ruin this?

Besides, the Uchiha wasn't the only one gaping.

Mebuki's whole demeanour had deflated, from her face to her spiked chakra, leaving only a battered body swaying slightly in the hovering dust. Naruto would have deemed her a madwoman if not for the sharp glint in her eyes, focused on the same direction Sasuke was aching towards.

Doubt settled into the blond's mind. She wasn't there. Naruto's eyes worked fine, and out of the three of them, he was certain to be the most sane. She wasn't there.

Sasuke's sudden flinch made him realise he'd said it out loud. Cringing, the apology died on his tongue though, because his friend took a tentative step towards the shadows.

Naruto instinctively dropped into a defensive stance as Mebuki's eyes snapped to the moving Uchiha, but there was no hostility in them. Just a wary inquiry, as if the ghost of Sakura would be frightened by his movement.

The murderous intent gone only unsettled Naruto further. Something wasn't right, and Sakura was in a hospital bed, unable to stand up, let alone walk, and she couldn't breathe without her oxygen mask anyway, so-

"I can see her too."

Hinata's soft voice cut through his spiralling frenzy, a pale hand delicately landing onto his shoulder. A bemused glance towards her activated Byakugan made Naruto want to slap her out of it.

"Sakura is right there."

And just like that, pale fingers cautiously reached towards the darkness, grasping at nothing and seemingly everything in an instant. "Sakura," Sasuke breathed out.

So soft, so fragile.

So desperate. But not as desperate as Mebuki's wail, "my baby!"

The sudden scuffle of her limbs on the gravel made Naruto jump- the fire previously lighting her soul had transformed into something darker, a need, an appetite. Palpable enough for the Kyuubi to grow uneasy inside the blond's gut.

The mother unabashedly threw herself in the direction of her child's spectre, swinging her arms aggressively. Her anguished behaviour reminded Naruto of a term he had come across in a legal scroll during his data hunt in the library. 'Crime of passion'.

Or love as a motive for murder.

As panic settled in, Naruto's head whipped towards the one person who, technically, could not see the apparition either. Hinata was frowning. Judging from her expression, she too was sensing danger. But what danger, since they were three of the most promising ninjas, up against a famished woman clawing for a ghost?

A ghost?

"Hinata-chan, what do you see?" Naruto grabbed both of the girl's shoulders, forcing her to face him. He didn't really understand the workings of her Byakugan, but he still got the fact that she could perceive chakra networks. And if the normal eye couldn't see Sakura, then it wasn't her real body. No flesh, no bone meant no chakra network. But if the Byakugan could make out Sakura's form…

"I can see a chakra wave. It's blurry, but it's definitely Sakura."

Then she was an illusion. Generated by someone who did have flesh, bones and a chakra network, and sent here on purpose. An illusion made for two specific people, meant to appear right at the climax of their conflict. Naruto was certain of it.

Letting go of Hinata, the blond took her hand instead, oblivious to the instant flush of her cheeks, and began dragging her away from the entranced victims. "Sasuke needs to snap out of it. I don't know who created this fake Sakura, but they need to stop. They are tarnishing her memory and toying with Sasuke's feelings," he snarled while squeezing Hinata's fingers. She let out a small yelp. "If we take care of the asshole, the illusion will disappear." That said, Naruto's face softened and he promptly stared at the dizzy girl beside him.

It took her a couple of seconds to realise he was expecting her to do something. Hinata stammered incoherencies before her brain caught up- and outran her heart. But patience was not one of Naruto's numerous qualities. "Your Byakugan! You can spot him easily. Go!"

While it was meant to be cheery, the tightness in his voice spurred Hinata on. She was not about to let him down. And if she was completely honest, the reassuring weight of his hands - as much for her as for himself - back on her shoulders was a bonus boost.

"Byakugan!"

Hinata scanned the area carefully. Considering the neat outline of Sakura's form, the illusion was flawless. No loose chakra strand tied her back to her creator, as normally visible with average illusions. This wasn't going to destabilise the dark-haired girl. Even perfect illusions had their trademark, she just had to spot it.

"Whenever you're ready," Naruto kept whispering. He was ready to knock out whoever he had to.

Even so, minutes passed and Hinata grew increasingly restless. There was absolutely nothing. No clue pointing to a particular chakra signature, no pattern anywhere. The aura enveloping Sakura and Mebuki, who had draped herself around the girl's floating form, was too bright for the Byakugan to pierce through.

"I-I'm sorry… N-Na…" Hinata hiccuped in shame. "Ruto-kun."

Said boy tried in vain to hide his disappointment, flashing her with a toothy but shaky grin. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan! I can just pounce Teme back to reality!" But the usual sunlight in his tone was gone.

"WHAT IS SHE SAYING TO YOU?!"

Naruto felt his neck crack with how fast he twisted it in the direction of Mebuki's screech. His reflexes failed him for a split second as he evaluated the situation, realising too late that Sasuke was being strangled. Hinata was quicker however, crossing the distance separating them from the struggling duo fast enough to tear Mebuki off Sasuke's purpling throat. Not wanting to see if her unexpected outburst would clear away the trance-like state she was in, Hinata hastily performed a pressure points technique to rob the mother of her chakra. The body fell limp in her arms, drained of physical energy but fuelled by inextinguishable hatred. Mebuki kept spitting in Sasuke's direction. "What did she say to you?! Why you?! What did she say?! Tell me!! Bastard, what did she say?!"

Her voice had risen more octaves than Hinata's ears could bear.

Sasuke was clutching his throat, breathing heavily and coughing excess blood out. Naruto had rushed to his side, blabbing drowned-out words of worry and pulling him up. The woman's chokehold was beyond anything he'd ever experienced before, but his entire being was focused on a single thing, far away from the pain and the gasping.

Sakura.

The witch was yelling in the distance, words he could barely make out, a whisper compared to the sweet, soft voice haunting his nightmares.

He hadn't heard her talk like that in a long, long time, but it had never left him. That night, her unnecessary apology, her heartfelt confession, her impossible offer to go with him, her choked sobs. He still felt every second of it, of her, reverberating through his body.

And she was doing it again.

"Sasuke-kun, please."

He shivered.

"If it's too difficult for you, don't do it."

He still shined in the role of the idiot.

"Please. I won't make the same mistake I made with Naruto."

They weren't two anymore, they were three.

Hadn't they always been three?

"No promises. No delegating. Please stop."

No promises. The promise that night, had she kept it?

"Don't hurt yourself for me anymore."

Sasuke scoffed, or at least he thought he did. It didn't matter. Hurt? It was the other way around, wasn't it?

She hurt for him. She hurt because of him. He hurt, he hurt, he hurt.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Ah, she knew, she knew, she knew. A familiar sweet ache. Allowing himself to admire, Sasuke dwelled into the forest of her eyes. Obedient.

"She doesn't really deserve saving, does she?"

Like hell she did. But he had already told her that. And he had also promised her he'd save her.

For her sake.

"Forget it. Sasuke-kun… Just save me."

"MY BABY!"

She was gone.

Starved, Sasuke gulped in a greedy breath of air, his ears acclimating to the harsh noise of reality. Naruto's panicked shouts, Hinata's struggling gasps, Mebuki's violent screeches and the silence of Sakura's absence.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BABY?! WHY IS SHE GONE?! WHAT DID SHE SAY TO YOU?!"

Sasuke could hear his own heart.

But if a diplomatic war were to break out, who would be forced to fight it?

"Hokage-sama?" A timid knock.

That wouldn't be the correct answer.

"Come in." Having recognised the voice, Tsunade set her political thoughts aside to welcome in the unusual visitor. Hinata rarely, if ever, took the initiative to show up at the Hokage's office unrequested. Apparently, her preoccupied state had overcome her incredible shyness.

What really surprised Tsunade however was the calmness of her company. Both Naruto and Sasuke were noticeably different from their normal selves- she was used to an overeager boisterous blond and a brooding Uchiha constantly on edge, but Naruto was alarmingly grave and Sasuke sported the most certain expression she had ever seen on the man's face.

Amidst her contemplations, Tsunade completely forgot her duties as a leader. Hinata awkwardly failed to clear her throat- it had nonetheless the desired effect on the bemused Hokage.

"Hinata Squad, report!"

"Hai!" No matter how much being put under the spotlight scared her, Hinata knew how to handle herself as a ninja. "After we came to you requesting stronger incarceration m-measures concerning Haruno Mebuki, a-and a search warrant for the ninja who generated an illusion of Sakura, w-we dispersed around the village to find traces of the illusion's chakra signature." Hinata hesitated slightly. "W-We haven't found any." She adverted her eyes, and Tsunade made a mental note to help her work on her fear of disappointing. "We're still working on it! A-Akamaru didn't pick up on any foreign scent at the scene though, only ours."

When the roof of the detention center had exploded, Tsunade had feared an attack from outside- despite the peace agreement reached between the nations, memories of the Great War still lingered in her reflexes. The three ninjas she and the ANBU had found at the scene, however, were a different sight to behold. Stories of illegally acquired ninja techniques, a ghost of Sakura and the Byakugan picking up on chakra waves confused her as much as they relieved her. The village was safe. The war was over.

An hour later, the security of the detention center had been restored, Mebuki sedated and paralysed, Sakura put under constant surveillance and the Hinata Squad was formed to chase the creator of the illusion.

"Where's Kakashi?"

"Ah, b-because Mebuki is not in a state to be further interrogated and we don't know the extent of her abilities, he offered to interrogate her h-husband instead." Hinata's answer startled the Hokage.

"Her husband?"

"Hai. He was unconscious the whole time and hasn't displayed any sign of h-hostility, so he might be more cooperative than M-Mebuki. He might know something about the illusion too."

Last time Kakashi had talked to the man, things had gone downhill pretty fast. Tsunade couldn't tell whose fault it was; she hadn't seen Kizashi conscious yet, and the Copy ninja was clearly not in a state to investigate Sakura's attack. But with how short on people and time they were, the Hokage couldn't afford the luxury to spare Kakashi's emotions.

"Good idea. I checked with the nurses after making sure myself, but the chakra wave didn't come from Sakura…" Tsunade sighed and massaged her creased forehead. "Her brain activity is passive, and her chakra has remained dormant for the past two weeks. Naruto, you told me Sakura appeared right when Mebuki and Sasuke engaged in combat, correct?"

The jinchuriki didn't even lighten up. "Yes, but only these two could see her. And Hinata, with her Byakugan. It looked like she was trying to stop their fight. I think she also spoke to Sasuke…" Glancing in his direction, Naruto couldn't - perhaps he didn't wish to - hide the glint of suspicious jealousy residing there. Not only hadn't he seen his best friend, but she had also chosen to remain silent to him. Not even Mebuki, to whom Sakura had shown herself, had had the privilege to hear her voice. What made Sasuke special? Special enough not to share her precious words, keeping them to himself like a greedy man.

One of Tsunade's eyebrows arched up. She too turned her attention towards the patient Uchiha, straightening up and linking her fingers questioningly. He didn't speak.

For a reason unknown to Naruto, which only served to infuriate him more, Hinata stepped in. She was taking Sasuke's side. "Hokage-sama, there's something you must know. I don't know if it's important, but… A-At least according to the Byakugan, Sakura was a child."

"Eh?" "A child?"

Disarmed by the new piece of information, Naruto completely forgot his resolute glumness. His gaping expression mirrored that, only in much bigger proportions, of Tsunade's, who had imagined a young adult interrupting a potentially violent fight to avoid damage.

"Aa." Sasuke suddenly confirmed. "She was definitely a child."

All heads turned to him at his - as much as it could get - light tone, bordering on nonchalance. The beat he leisurely took to elaborate unnerved Naruto enough for him to clench his fists, ready to punch. They were always waiting for Sasuke.

"It was the same Sakura who approached me that time we went in her mind with Hizoshi."

He said it simply, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb on the two speechless blonds. When they found their voices again, Tsunade had risen on both palms, leaning forward so enthusiastically that Sasuke knew the puzzle pieces were beginning to fit inside her mind.

"Teme-"

"You're talking about the time we all got ejected but you, aren't you?" Sasuke gave her a curt nod.

Tsunade sat back in her chair. "You did look rather determined once you woke up, but I always thought you'd seen a memory that was… well, destined for you only." Something in her gaze flickered. "But if you saw Sakura as a child…" Leaning back, the Hokage grabbed her chin with her thumb and index finger, crossing her other arm. Confidence pooling in. "It wasn't in a memory, was it? It was her own doing." Another nod from the equally assured Uchiha. "This Sakura was a reflection of her unconscious, trying to reach out to you. To communicate with you. And it was the same Sakura who interrupted your fight, except this one was a fake."

Sasuke was finally talking to her, and she wasn't about to lecture him for the long-ass time it took him to open up. She'd do that later. Instead, Tsunade prodded him encouragingly. "What exactly did she say to you? Both times?"

Naruto was hanging upon every word pouring out of Sasuke's system, eager to find his place in this increasingly dual connection Sakura seemed to favour Sasuke for.

"The first time…"

She had retained him after the last memory. She was rather serious about it, not making contact with him for the sake of seeing him (not now, heart, not the right moment). She had something she desperately wanted to say, but refused to formulate it. And… Inner-Sakura was a child.

His eyes snapped up. In the distance, a faint light was starting to shine, timidly casting their shadows like a prism. Squinting at it, Sasuke thought he heard voices, too. When Sakura's tug on his hand pulled his attention back to her stare, he finally understood everything.

Well, not everything-everything, but certainly a big part of it. The light was not new. It had been there even before Sakura's appearance. It was a light that had yet to go out.

In the fraction of a second it took Sasuke to blink, Sakura vanished. The raven-haired shinobi inspected the hand she had held for a brief moment then dashed towards the memory that was not finished.

Despite Naruto's wise warning, Sakura had come back. It was well past dusk, and yet she stood there, still as a rock, staring at the double doors leading to the Elders' Chamber. The intricate pattern carved into the wood was doing nothing to calm her nerves. If anything, it was making them flare; pretty, pretty facade for horrid, horrid creatures. She didn't know where that thought had come from. She just knew it for a fact.

Behind these closed doors stood a much greater barrier. Her mother's insurmontable, repudiating back. This too, she was certain of. Sakura could feel presences. Her mother's was peculiar, thorny and starved, warm enough to burn. Her father's was calmer, cooler, and absent. Mebuki was alone in there, talking to people who were not supposed to summon her.

Where was she acquiring all this knowledge from? A gut feeling felt too much of a joke to qualify the swarming acid in Sakura's stomach. In her legs. In her palms. In her skull.

Sasuke heaved.

Danger. Danger. Danger.

He was standing right behind the girl's small frame, drowned out by the sheer size of the massive doors. He could feel in his bones every emotion she recalled from memory, his senses abused, aggressively on alert.

The thickness of his tongue made him want to puke.

Sakura was dying to say something, something very particular. She couldn't remember what.

So she listened instead. Stealthily placing her ear against the wood, Sakura stilled her breath, trying to catch the words exchanged on the other side. In the realm of her mind, they reverberated tenfold. Sasuke finally caught the reason behind the paleness of Inner-Sakura's cheeks.

"Will you be needing subordinates?" A gravelly voice inquired haughtily.

"I can handle it." Sakura flinched.

"We will keep people on standby near the coast. You must know we do not fully trust you."

"Well, it's not like I trust you either. Do remember, I have the upper hand." Snarky, like Mebuki's entire personality.

"Do not get ahead of yourself. Without our protection, you are nothing. Civilians are not allowed to follow independant ninja trainings. If we were to abandon you, you would be considered a traitor to the Leaf."

Mebuki's bark resonated louder than necessary. "Traitor? Then what does that make you?"

The Elders' response was muffled, too quiet for Sakura to catch.

"Besides, it's my idea you're using. Thanks to me, you'll gain obedient shinobi with unlimited chakra control, ensuring your safety if a new war were to break out. Without me, you are nothing." She snickered.

"Watch your mouth. How is the substance evolving?"

"You mean the poison? Fantastic. I just need to test it out on more reliable subjects. The ones you've sent me had weak chakra control. They all died."

Sakura gasped, her start causing her to stumble against the door, which shook for a couple of anxiety-filled seconds, before slipping open with a deafening creak.

Three heads turned towards her.

All Sasuke could hear was his erratic heartbeat. Or was it hers? He couldn't tell.

Nothing happened.

Sakura mustered a wobbly smile, clearing her throat multiple times and straightening up in an effort to appear relaxed. "E-Elders-sama!" She stammered, her voice a pitch too high. "Hokage-same called. For you. She wants you. To see you. You to see her." The child cleared her throat again.

After another stretched silence, one of the Elders rose, snapping at her. "Don't you know how to knock, child?" The other followed suit.

Relief washed over both Sakura and Sasuke as the former realised the Elders didn't suspect her eavesdropping. They dismissed Mebuki and dryly thanked the girl before motioning towards the doors.

But Sakura paid them no attention as her gaze stilled on her mother's expression. Her heart lodged in her throat.

Fear. Not of the fact that Sakura had overheard their exchange, which she knew she had.

Pure terror, directed at the Elders.

"I have to save Mebuki."

He didn't know why he was telling them, especially since he wasn't planning on asking for permission, but Sasuke did it nonetheless.

Right as he noticed Tsunade's mouth opening, Sasuke reiterated, not wanting to deal with her protests. "I have to save her. For Sakura's sake. I know it was just an illusion, but the second time Sakura appeared, she told me to forget it. So I have to."

Tsunade blinked. His logic wasn't quite clear to her. Apparently, it wasn't clicking with Naruto either. "Teme, Sakura told you to abandon her mother, which means the opposite of saving."

His disbelieving tone irritated the Uchiha slightly, but he tried to remain patient as he gritted through his teeth, "she said that 'cause she doesn't want to be a burden." She still regrets insisting that you bring me back. He wanted to say that too, but found himself unable to voice it.

"Sasuke, we don't know who sent this illusion. It could be a trap-"

"I don't care if it's a trap!" His grip on his tone was slipping. "Sakura asked me to save her mother. Whether it's from the Elders, from herself or from something else, I'll do it. She never asks me anything, that means she's not joking around."

The closed expression he was met with cooled his anger off enough for his voice to even out. "Tsunade. Sakura is lying in a hospital bed, unable to wake up." Even now, it hurt him to state the truth. "Despite that, despite her undeniable need for an antidote, for a way to get rid of that fucking pain, the only thing she asks for is that I- is that we save her mother. Doesn't that mean anything? You're a medic. Doesn't it mean anything?"

Called out, Tsunade squeezed her eyes shut, her voice trembling as she whispered her answer. "I inscribed her mother's name in the Bingo Book."

"And she'll remain there." Just like his glare, Sasuke's tone was hard. "I'll save her from whatever is tormenting her, and then I'll make sure she rots in jail for the rest of her miserable life."

When she wakes up, Sakura will be faced with her parents' sin. A sin made public by the adult she has placed her full trust in. After eighteen years of running away from a cruel reality, Tsunade will have, and twice at that, allowed this reality to creep up on its victim, forcing Sakura to wake up in the actuality of the memories her mind was trapped in.

"Mebuki will pay for her crimes."

Maybe, just maybe, a soul which had been suffocated by such a reality could help Sakura navigate her own. Maybe Sasuke knew what the hell he was doing, because none of them did.

Such determination usually stemmed from his blond counterpart, which was probably the reason Tsunade pushed her chair out. "You have my permission. Don't hurt yourself, ask for help when you need it." She gave him a pointed look, to which Sasuke complied. "Where's Hizoshi? I'd like to scan Sakura's memories one last time, to make sure Sasuke isn't in danger. We need to investigate what she overheard between Mebuki and the Elders. That won't be easy."

Naruto came back to life. "Ah right! I was looking for him! Hinata-chan! Where did you see him again?"

"W-With Ino-san… At her flower shop this afternoon." The future Hokage intimidated Hinata much more than the current one did.

Slamming both palms on her desk, Tsunade fully stood up. "Naruto! Bring him to Sakura's room as soon as you find him. You're investigating the Elders with me. Sasuke, go help Kakashi with his interrogation of Kizashi. Don't do anything rash concerning Mebuki. Remember she's at least on the level of a fully capable ninja. Hinata, you're in charge of watching him. Make sure Sasuke stays safe, and don't hesitate to stop him if you think he'll compromise Mebuki's captivity. You're all dismissed!"

Ino locked her flower shop with a jingle, thinking about the disparity of costumers she had welcomed the whole day. Congratulatory flowers, a rose bouquet, funeral arrangements… And a shy man who reminded her of Hinata. He had awkwardly tried to flirt, and despite the utter embarrassment it had caused for both of them, Ino found herself touched by this man's nervousness. He had been quite endearing, this Hizoshi. It was the man who had brought Sakura back. They had met on a few occasions at her bedside, but had never talked. According to him, she had caught his eye during one of these encounters, striking him as a 'honest, devoted soul'. Cheesy, but cute. He wanted to know more about her. Ino giggled as she strolled her usual way home. It had been a while since such an honest man had pursued her. They usually all tried to toughen up around her, as if that would be more attractive. But she liked openness.

Ino wobbled.

Memories of her past fights with Sakura began to resurface, clawing at each other in the fields, in the streets, during the Chuunin exams. She had cut herself on a thorn this morning. Her recent mission had left her with a broken ankle. The harsh words Shikamaru had spat at her when they'd had a screaming match about responsibility still stung.

Her vision was hazy. Was she on the ground? Why was she in so much pain? Squinting, she could perceive Naruto's electric gaze amidst the fog, but was that concern on his face?

She couldn't move.

She'd had such a bad headache last week. And she'd sprained her wrist trying to bandage a reluctant patient. And her period contractions were persistent. Choji's delicious grilled steak had burnt her tongue.

The air was stolen from her. Ino fainted.