T_T
Storm was forming inside Uchiha Sasuke's mind. It is about time all hell breaks loose for him. He had been driven hundred kilometers per hour through the thickest fog of the dawn heading toward the den of Shimura Danzo.
Sasuke realized after Ryouichi called him, despite all of their effort Ryouichi was one step ahead of him. He obviously had been monitoring him this whole time. That one thing lead to another, which is why he needed to figure another way out as well. Something which guaranteed Ryouichi's end. And there is one person who would feel—if it is not the mutual hate—then be happy if Ryouichi were gone.
Sasuke kept Madoka in the dark about most of the things, and he lied to her—with high probability it could be true—about Ryouichi had a snitch inside the police. So, fortunately she agreed to ask her father's help without much of an effort.
/
h E R e • a F t e R
21
/
Maebashi, 2022
Winter. Shimura Danzo's mansion
Danzo coming from the double door of his bedroom with Madoka by his side. Sasuke looked at the old figure from across the room. He had trouble walking yet it did not stop him from his intense glare.
"Can't you at least let the sun out first before coming here, young man?" He spoke lowly with a grunt.
"My apology, sir."
Madoka helped him to sit in front of Sasuke.
"State your bussiness quickly."
Sasuke did not need to elaborate all the troubles Madoka and Ryouichi had inflicted upon his family, and since it was possible Danzo aware of that matter. "Ryouichi called me. He gave me 24 hours to meet him at his place, which he said Madoka knows where to go."
"Hmm," Danzo sighed silently. He turned to his daughter, "Where?"
"I still quite unsure," Madoka replied. "If I knew I would tell him weeks ago."
"Then what the hell do you want from me?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
"Ryouichi, he… actually kidnapped one of my friend, and he wanted Madoka as a barter."
"Oh, that fucker!" Danzo cursed to the air.
And goes without saying, Madoka was pissed. "What!? Why don't you say that to me!?"
"You need to be serious, young man. Or I'll have one of my kid get you gone right now."
"Madoka and I really need your help. We need to stop Ryouichi or next Madoka's life will be on the line."
"And yours as well," Danzo sneered.
Sasuke nodded his head, "I'm aware of that."
Danzo went to have a little chuckles with such uncomfortable sound. "So you wanted me to help you rescue your friend then save both of you, also while doing that as an exchange I give him my own daughter. Huh, I never find any story funnier than this."
"I only ask you to help Madoka and to get Ryouichi, as simple as that."
"What do I gain from helping you anyway?"
Madoka's eyes shifted to the edge toward her father. The room fell silent again.
"Frankly, I really consider not to help both of you."
"Father!?"
"Shut up!" The old-hoarse voice raised, "I've warned you to get away from him so many times. And you did exactly what I told you not to!"
As Madoka was about to give another retort, Sasuke pull out the bakcpack he had brought behind the armchair. "I could offer you anything you want."
Looking at the black bag, Danzo lowered his eyelids. "Well… this is basically bussiness, you need my help, you pay for it, ain't it, young man?"
Sasuke unfaltered expression finally cracking. The greed leaking from the old man disgusted him, and yet he had no better option. "Indeed, sir."
"I suppose, I have to hear your offerings first."
Sasuke pull out sheets of paper from his bag. Danzo willingly to stretch out his hand.
Couple of anxious eyes were locking upon the old man. The tension in the room was still high. Sasuke held his hands in unison, tried to read Danzo's expression through his wrinkled skin of his face.
Danzo's lips began to parted, "I suppose," he said with low voice, "this rather generous offerings knowing how unfaithful my daughter is."
Madoka glared her eyes toward nowhere.
"I deem time is precious, I bet you do as well. If I want to have your time and help, this should be it."
Danzo eyed Sasuke with delicacy that made the Uchiha frown, he could not contained his amusement. "After all, I had enough of Ryouichi's antics. I'll take this, and you have Akatsuki aiding you as soon as you figure out his hideout." He started to walk back to his bedroom, snapping Madoka helping hands on the way.
Sasuke heaved a heavy breath. He waited as Danzo was talking to someone he could not see—probably over the phone—he pushed a finger to his right temple. He had done the most unthinkable.
/
Okinawa, 2022
Winter. 17.50
Before the sun set, Sasuke had planned they should arrive at the area where Madoka addressed would be Ryouichi's hideout. Unfortunately, as they traveled all the way to Okinawa, Sasuke watched behind the car's window that sun had peacefully met the edge of the sea. The scenery was breathaking, in a egoistical way possible; it would not bother even if someone were going to face the end of their life today.
Passing the beautiful sea scenery, they stop when they reach their destination. It was the long stone stairs which leading up to a hill. Sasuke parked their rented car at the nearest 24 hours convenient store. Couple of tourist were roaming here and there to watch the sea up from the long stairs. But, their real destination required them to walk even higher and deeper to the hill.
Although winter was harsh in Tokyo, Okinawa's weather spoke in different language. Still it did not eased the steep slippery path they were struggled to pass.
"We used to have secret meeting, or date he used to call, here in the cabin at the top of the hill. He also has access to the nearest small pier at the foothill." Madoka informed Sasuke after she spent hours recollecting her past.
The cabin she meant was more of a lodge. A wooden lodge that probably had been abandoned years ago, looking at how the tall grass circling around it and the weeds decorating its floor.
Sasuke could not careless. His only focus was on how fast the Akatsuki would raid this place and how to get out of it without a scratch.
Madoka glared at Sasuke as he knocked on the door without a heads-up. She had been quiet the whole time, "If something ever happen to me, my father would kill you."
Sasuke chose not to respon or even listen.
A bulky huge man opened up the door for them. Right on the middle of the lodge, Ryouichi was there with his back facing them watching tv without any hint of interest.
/
Okinawa, 2022.
Winter. 18.35
Ryouichi stood from his chair, looking at the two with mixed expression. "Uchiha Sasuke, it's been awhile."
Sasuke bore the man with hatred.
"No hard feelings," Ryouichi said smirking, "You know well enough that we gotta risk everything for the one we love, aren't we?" He shifted his head toward Madoka, "and thank you to the love of my life, for everything that I have done, she willingly sold me out."
Madoka answered meekly, "I'm sorry, Ryou-kun."
The room fell silent. The two shattered relationship were loud enough for everyone to notice.
"Are you? We haven't talk for few months though."
"I can't."
"Why? Because you've been cooperating with them to catch me?"
Madoka loss her composure. "Please," now she was begging, "You know, it's hard for me too."
Sasuke could not careless about what kind of drama Madoka trying to act to buy her time, his main focus was somewhere else; the very first thing he laid his eyes upon entering the shabby lodge. Sakura on the opposite side of the room, looked fine and calm than he had imagined. Eventhough she stood there barefoot, her hands were tied behind her back, her dishelved cherry blossom hair, the torn of her front white shirt; all of it were telling him that she had been treated roughly.
"Fine. Come here, Maddy." Ryouichi called.
"Let Sakura go," Sasuke interupted.
"Of course," Ryouichi gestured his chin to his right man who held Sakura.
They cut the thick rope over her hands as she was being released. Sasuke followed them carefully with weary eyes. He was confused when Sakura's face was far from relief. She was instead looking scared, she took a small dubious steps. Not far from her, Ryouichi remain calm in his place waiting, stretching out his right hand to Madoka.
Sakura glanced quitely in horror between Ryouichi and Madoka. She muttered something to Madoka, but it did not reach her. Then she looked at Sasuke. From the pale lips he read, "get down."
The next thing happen was a great signal of their dire situation. The sound of a gun released its bullet filled up the entire room. Sasuke ignored completely what Sakura had told him to, he watched with wide eyes as she lunged herself toward Madoka. They plummeted together to the wooden floor.
"Sakura!" He run frantically.
Alas, Ryouichi's bodyguard who stood by the door caught him first. He sent sidekick to Sasuke's stomach.
After being hit, Sasuke looked at the man whose body was twice of him. He crouched down on his knees to feeling out his chest, the sudden sharp and painful breathing indicated the possibility of fractured ribs. The huge vigorous guy did not spare him another minute as he yanked Sasuke's black hoodie with intense force.
Sasuke's body slammed right on the rough hardwood few meters away from where he initially stand. Now his whole back was throbbing, his breathing gotten shallow. Get it together! He reminded himself, fully aware that he could not even see Sakura in this situation, let alone helping her.
The huge guy's intention was surely to knock Sasuke down, he was coming back at Sasuke with one knee slightly bended ready to launch another kick. This time aiming to his head.
As Sasuke had predicted, he preceded a very fast uppercut to the guy's face. Resulted in the huge body staggering backward while shaking his head. Sasuke took the momentarily blur vision of his opponent to tackled him down. And before the guy completely register his painful head-first landing, Sasuke locked him in a chokehold. Despite the effort, the vigorous guy still managed to sent a few jab before he out of consciousness.
To make sure he did not kill the man, Sasuke quickly released his chokehold as soon as the guy stop flailing. He bit back the pain in his chest, then got on his feet.
"Impressive, very impressive," Ryouichi's remarked after witnessing Sasuke's fight. He was facing Sakura, and held her face in his left hand as the other aim the revolver toward Madoka's laying body.
Sasuke seethed in anger. "Let her go!"
"I have no idea you're that good, Sasuke-kun. Watch out your back, please."
Sasuke abruptly halting his pace when another two of Ryouichi's man holding their gun at his back. He was out of patience now. God dammit, where is the Akatsuki Danzo had deal to help them with!?
"She doesn't deserve your heroic stunt, doctor," Ryouichi said shaking Sakura's face lightly. "Get up, Maddy, I suppose you learn your lesson now."
"You shot her?" Sasuke watched as Madoka curled up in fear.
"I missed it because someone think it is okay to stick out her nose in everyone's bussiness." Sakura steeled herself as Ryouichi was inching closer. To her abhorrence, he sent a coarse kiss to her lips, "When you can't even defend your own self," Ryouichi's laugh booming inside the lodge.
Sasuke almost went feral if it was not because of the gun grip striking the back of his head. "Stay put!" Both of the men behind him did not let him retaliate by severing his broken ribs with round of kicking.
Then out of nowhere a sudden splittering sound put down Ryouichi's laugh within seconds. Blood gushing from his right hand which had been holding a gun. "Shit—"
The lodge front door split apart as Sasuke's long waited back-up team barraged the room. For split second as he looked behind his shoulder, Sasuke thought it was Naruto who was standing there. Mistaken by the bright orange hair.
"Damn, Yahiko, why bother to bring me and Konan if you can complete the task on your own," Hidan yelled as Yahiko striked both of Ryouichi's men as soon as he enter the room, "while Konan conveniently work her ass from the van."
"I'm starting to regret as you speak now, go get Maddy!"
"Tch!"
Another bunch of Ryouichi's subordinates came from the back door of the lodge after the commotion. Despite his bleeding arm, Ryouichi managed to hurled few shots at Hidan and Yahiko using his left hand.
In the middle of the gunfire, Sasuke seized his chance to get to Sakura's side. Her obvious trembling body prostrated on the floor and hands trying hard to covered up her head tightly.
"Sakura," Sasuke called, feeling her shaking under his hands, "it's me," then she peeked out behind her arms, "let's get out of here."
"Are you alright?" Tears spilling like a broken dam out of her eyes.
"I'm fine, come on."
"What about her?" She still worried about Madoka.
"She—"
They watched as Madoka got up from her previous helpless position. "You're late!" She quickly hid herself behind Hidan.
"She'll be fine." Sasuke took Sakura's body under him as well, as he shielded her from the ongoing rain of bullets.
"What about thank you, huh?" Hidan wielded his gigantic scythe, "God forbid me to not use this," he remarked toward Yahiko's glare after he managed to slashed down one of his opponent.
"Just get her out!" Yahiko yelled, "before that son of a bitch escape."
Hidan almost rolled his eyes, still annoyed at the fact that Yahiko alone should finish the job. He run fast to the shattered door with Madoka tailing behind.
"I'll call the police. Just be careful," Sasuke told Hidan and Madoka as he met them on the open field outside the lodge.
"Sure, we'll get him."
"There's small pier at the base of this hill," Madoka added.
"Yeah, alright, you should go, Konan will meet you."
"Catch him no matter what!"
"I said ALRIGHT, geez." Hidan rolled his eyes.
/
Okinawa, 2022
Winter. 20.55
Sakura faced the wooden lodge with such overwhelming feeling. She stood there body still trembling in fear, she had just dodged her death, repeated the words countlessly to herself.
Sakura was sure enough, the man, Ryouichi Kudo, had plotted something evil that tonight people could die because of him. She does not want to die and become a big burden to people she cared the most. But, she could not stand a chance to let someone get hurt either. So, now she was gripping her front shirt tightly in deep hope that the two unknown men who came to rescue her could get away from the lodge alive.
"Sakura," Sasuke held both of her shoulders. "Are you listening?"
She tuned back to her surrounding. She faced the man who looked worn out and worried.
"Madoka is fine now," Sasuke informed her. She looked at Madoka who was now inside a van with a sniper, apparently a woman, holding her long riffle.
"We need to get going."
"Those men are still inside."
"I've just called the police, they're on their way. You don't need to worry. Those men are holding Ryouichi in place so the police could get him. They're gonna be fine."
"Okay," she was nodding with a frown.
"Hold on," Sasuke knelt down before they began to walk. Sakura totally forgotten that she was barefoot, so he took off his shoes and put it on her foot.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked as they began to walk, leaving Madoka and the lilac-haired sniper behind.
"No, i'm fine, but I know you're not. Could you really walk?"
"I… can, it's okay," Sasuke's face contorted in pain as they walked quite away from the lodge.
She halted him, "of course you would say that, why would I ask," then swung his arm onto her shoulders, "now, hold on to me."
"Thank you," he said.
And with that her tears pooling inside her eyes. She was dropping her head low and bit her lips. For the love of God, I had doubt that you would come to save me, it crossed my mind numerous time. And somehow I'd still be fine with that. "You saved me, Sasuke-kun, you don't need to say that."
All the tourist were gone from the top of the stone stairs. It could possibly due to the gunfire they heard. When they reached the silver car that Sasuke had parked before at the convenient store, people were suspisciously watching them from afar.
"Wait," Sasuke took out his phone to answer a call. "Hello."
Sakura waited while still supporting Sasuke's body firmly. Although faintly she could heard the familiar voice over the phone. Naruto.
"What!?" Sasuke shouted, "yes, the bastard has a small pier at the foothills… Of course they would prioritize Madoka… No, they probably not gonna risk that far," he looked frustated, "Yeah, I know… She's fine… We're going to the police station right now… Hn… I know… Thanks again, Naruto, I'll call you later." He put away his phone.
"Is that Naruto?"
"Yes. I called him to mmediately contact and coordinated with the police here. He's mad because I didn't tell him first about our situation."
"And then what happen? Do the police catch Ryouichi?"
"Unfortunately no, he abandoned his own subordinates to escape."
"Madoka and the others?"
"They've went on their way either," Sasuke sighed. He looked at Sakura's face, "they'll catch him, Naruto said he had asked the help of the police secret service, and he needed us to get to the nearest police station as soon as possible. Let's just trust him."
"Of course I trust him, he would do his best just like you did," Sakura let go of her hold. "But, sorry, what we should do now is to treat your injury first. We'll go to the hospital then police station, I'll drive, okay?"
Sasuke suddenly caught her hand.
"Wha—" Sakura was feeling the smooth surface of Sasuke's cotton sweater on her face. Her whole face was suddenly buried between his chest and his arms. "S-s-sa-sasuke-kun?"
There was no answer. She could not look at his face either.
"Your chest, doesn't it hurt?"
He heaved a deep shaky breath. She could feel it with her face.
"It does," he answered meekly, then let go of his hug.
"Well… thank you," she pulled a small smile, "I kinda need that."
/
Okinawa, 2021
Winter. 22.30
Sakura told Sasuke everything that had happened when she got kidnapped. Yesterday, after she was drugged, half counsciously she remembered they brought her inside like a speedy ferry, the ship was moving so fast she still could sensed all the waving and jumping. The whole time she barely moved her body, and after that all she could remembered was being tied onto the rail of the bed.
So, in return, Sasuke told her everything about his fraud case, something that he had been wanting to tell her for so long, and now why she was being targeted. It sounded classic, but indeed because she was the only person besides his family that he counted precious to him. Sasuke had no doubt to tell her any of that.
Hearing all the fact at once, Sakura went silent in her seat, eyes glued to the dark road ahead of them. She had dealt so much troubles within just two nights, so he let her be to sorting her own thought.
The night road was empty, only filled by the faintest sound of the sea waves hitting the wall on the side of the road as they were heading to the hospital in the central of the town. Sakura was carefully drove the car when there was a vehicle's light blinding her rearview mirror from behind. She looked up, and it was some motorcycle.
Sasuke noticed the black bike, and glanced at the rider. He could not see it because of the darkness and the fact that the rider wore a full helmet makes it even impossible. His suspiscion was on point though.
"Sakura, step on the gas!"
Sakura did as she was told to. She straighten her back in fear, "Who is it?"
"Please, speed up."
And yet, the motorcycle was caught up to them in no time. Sasuke saw the glimpse of another passenger from behind the rider. And when the mysterious man put its hand inside its jacket—
"Get down!" Sasuke shouted.
—they were too late to dodged the bullets.
They were being raided under another gunfire. All they could did was holding onto their head when both of the right wheels blasted affected the car to took a sudden sharp turn. Sakura lost control of the steering wheel completely, despite her efforts to step on the pedal break after she sped up hundred kilometers per hour, the car went toppling over and over.
The motorcycle rider watched as the car stop upside down after it hit the wall that sepatated the sea from the roadway. The rider coldly turned the engine and left the scene as soon as it complete its mission.
e P i L o G u E
Sasuke was coughing up blood the moment he stirred from his blackout. Eventhough, he was saved by dangling on the seat belt, he felt his whole body was nothing but agony. He moved his heavy lid to the side, but there was no Sakura. He panicked.
"Sa… ku… ra," He managed to let out a whispered, then coughed up another blood. His chest were killing him.
He gritted his teeth to reached out to the side and push the seat belt off of him. He got off bumping on his side. He was panting a shallow and painful breath.
It took a while for him to gathered the strenght to crawled out of the car through the shattering window shards. All he could think about was to find Sakura.
Half of his body was out when a familiar color pop up to his peripheral vision. There she was laying few meters away on the snowy grass on the sideway of the road. He choked up on his blood before he managed to utter a single word.
Sasuke felt a hot line of tears upon his freezing and numbing face. She was not moving, at all.
No, God, no, please.