Sasuke did not come home.
She packed her things, with tears still dripping down her cheeks, and begged in her spirit for him to show up, to dispel her doubts, but he didn't show up.
She zipped up her suitcase, with her nose red from constant wiping with tissues, and listened for footsteps that never came.
She locked the door with a quickened breath and looked around to the sides, however, she did not see him anywhere.
Sasuke did not return to her.
(A few hours earlier)
He couldn't watch it anymore. The way she was shaking, how she was crying and how distraught she was. He watched with an aching heart as her bitter tears dripped onto the floor and formed dark stains on the light-colored wood. He fought the urge to approach her and wipe them away. He was close to doing so, even though he knew he couldn't move from the spot. However, he did not take a step.
He was a terrible person who tried to act in the name of good.
Sasuke looked at his father, and the latter nodded, then led Sakura out of his office, leaving him alone. Walking over to the desk, Sasuke glanced at Sakura's signature and the ring she had left next to the document. That was all he had left of her.
He never imagined that his life would end right there - because the end of his marriage with Sakura was exactly what he thought it would be. She was the only good thing that had happened to him, and he got rid of her as if she meant nothing to him. They could mutually give their lives for each other, but only he could stab her in the heart; she would never do it, even at the highest price.
He swept the divorce paper in his hand and hurled it at the wall, trying to unload all the anger that had accumulated under his skin.
"Stop experiencing such anger already, son." Fugaku returned unsteadily to his office, "We'll still need these documents."
"You can stick those documents in your ass." he growled.
Fugaku didn't like that. His eyes darkened, and as once Sasuke would have felt shivers at that moment, he now gnashed his teeth and prepared for anything.
"Oho, but don't talk to your father like that."
Sasuke felt like throwing himself at him at that moment, but he suppressed the feeling and pressed his lips into a narrow line. The first raindrops began to hit the windshield. He stared at them with hatred flowing throughout his body. The hatred he felt for himself.
"In that case, we have nothing more to talk about."
A chill blew through the room. Sasuke walked to the door and pressed the handle, however, he did not leave the study as his father's thunderous laughter stopped him.
"You should thank me." Fugaku mocked him. He never did that. No matter how badly Sasuke had irked him, he had never graced him with such a tone.
He glanced over his shoulder at his father, pulled down his eyebrows and squinted in anger. Was this still his father?
"Never."
He left, leaving the place where his life had changed course again, and not in a better direction at all. He went downstairs, shaking with rage but also grief. Sakura had probably already returned home long ago and was packing her things to return to her home village. She had no reason to wait for him.
"Sasuke?" He turned at the sound of his name and saw his mother standing in the entrance to the living room "Why did she run away crying?"
He didn't know what to answer her - the brutal truth or an unpleasant lie?
"She..." somehow it was hard for him to put it into words, not only because he was afraid of his mother's reaction, but also his own when he would finally say it out loud and realize how much his nightmare had become a reality "She left."
"She left?" Mikoto couldn't believe it "Sakura would never leave you on her own, so something must have happened, but what? Who is it—"
"It's better for everyone."
Safer - that's what he meant, but the last thing he wanted was to upset his already nervous mother.
"You're not telling me the truth. But why?"
Mikoto didn't give up. She walked up to him and embraced his face, and Sasuke, when he felt that maternal warmth, barely stayed on his feet. He needed his parent now as never before.
"I can't say. Not now."
"I understand."
She led him into the living room and seated him on the couch, never taking her eyes off him.
Sasuke didn't go home that day. He knew that no one was waiting for him there again.
Clouds covered the sun, depriving Konoha's residents of its last rays on this spring day. Sakura walked through the village with a gloomy face. Yesterday, after leaving home, she went to Ino and asked her if she could stay overnight with her. She lied to her friend that she was going to her home village the next day to visit her parents, and that night Sasuke had a mission, so she didn't want to stay alone because she had become traumatized by recent events. Ino, as Ino does, believed her and they spent the evening together. She couldn't grieve in front of her, so she put on her biggest smile on her face and somehow got through the night, although tears were constantly being pushed to her eyes.
Sakura really tried to hide her true feelings. She couldn't even tell Ino the truth.
A gate shrouded in shadow loomed in front of her. Sakura had seen it for some time, but she tried to push the sight out of her mind, because it meant only one thing - a definite end. And she didn't want to close that chapter in her life. Her love for Sasuke hasn't disappeared and won't for a long time (if it ever does).
The passing residents of Konoha didn't know the pain she was going through now, because how were they supposed to know. Her heart was broken in half, and she had to go on living - just like everyone else.
With great steps she was approaching the exit. Again she would have to find herself and her destiny. Again she would have to get used to a new reality, because this was the end of one. The end of...
No. Sakura did not want such an end.
She stopped in front of the gate and once again looked at Konoha. It was here that she had created something of her own, something she had begun to love with all her heart. She couldn't just leave. Here she had her friends.
But they were also waiting for her in her home village. Temari and Gaara would surely be very happy if she returned. Or not. They only wanted her happiness, and her return would mean that something had happened. Did she have the strength to explain all this to them? Would she be able to settle down again in a place full of a bitter past?
Sakura had to decide, but not under emotion. She turned right, heading to the farthest part of Konoha from its center. A new beginning was waiting for her, but not yet.
It wasn't that long ago that she had walked this path, but in a different direction, to get help from Naruto, but this time she needed to be alone. She walked through the increasingly crowded streets, filling up with happy people. Getting to the other part of the village was not the fastest thing. It took Sakura more than twenty minutes, but she finally stood in front of the first motel she encountered. She had enough money that she was going to spend three days here in peace and decide what to do next.
She went inside, activating the bell above the door. A young girl looked at her from over the counter.
"Can I help you?" She smiled pleasantly at her.
Sakura walked closer and placed the coins on the countertop.
"A single room for two nights, please."
"Of course." She took the money and reached behind her. She placed the key in front of Sakura, "Here you go."
She thanked her and headed upstairs. Finding a room numbered three hundred and twelve, she went inside and threw her bag into a corner. She did not unpack. She saw no point in doing so. Just as there was no point in continuing to stand still.
The bed itself pulled her to it. She lay down on it and folded herself into a ball. Her knees rested under her chin. She did not cry. All the tears had fled from her earlier. She didn't have them and didn't want to have them. She intended not to cry again for a person who did not want her. Sakura loved him, but she could not force him to love her.
.
Sakura kept her word - she did not shed a single tear. Until evening she lay under the quilt and breathed through a small hole, not even thinking about anything. She had no strength for anything. Only when nine o'clock struck did she go downstairs and ask the nice girl at the front desk if they had any food on offer. Sakura wasn't feeling well enough to go outside. The woman answered that they didn't have any, but she had instant soups in the back room and would reheat one for her (she must have noticed the state Sakura was in).
Eventually she managed to eat half the bowl, as she couldn't squeeze more into herself. She found it hard to swallow with the gulp in her throat.
Sakura spent the rest of the night staring at the night sky. She didn't even try to go to bed, as she would only be reminded of who she often shared nights with and who she misses most now, so only when the first ray of sunlight appeared did she lie down.
She slept like that until the afternoon, missing most of the day. And when she woke up, Konoha was slowly beginning to be shrouded in darkness.
This time she didn't give it a second thought and decided to go to a nearby store to buy herself something more nutritious to eat.
A cool breeze blew across her face. Sakura shuddered, as if this cold would herald bad events.
It couldn't be true, she knew. She knew, but further something bothered her. She felt as if someone was watching her. It seemed to her that she was being watched. She turned around.
No one was looking at her. No one was looking, but she knew that hair - that black, messy hair. Sasuke was there in the crowd and was moving away from her. Sakura longed to run after him, to catch up with him, to talk to him. She had so many questions that only he could answer. He broke her heart, and her body kept pulling her to him. She took the first step and the second and then the third, but didn't take the fourth. The man turned around - it wasn't Sasuke at all.
She was getting hallucinations. And her reaction - quickened heartbeat, uneven breathing, sweaty palms, testified to only one thing - she couldn't stand it any longer. To heal from him she had only one option. However, she had to leave.
Returning to an empty and dark house was nothing new, yet it hurt differently; more so. Sasuke closed the door quietly and went to the living room. He did not turn on the light. He sat down on the couch and turned his gaze to the ceiling.
He was already lacking faith.
Nori came over, jumped up to Sasuke and laid his little head on his lap. He didn't ask for anything, as if he sensed what had happened.
"She won't come back this time."
Nori meowed and licked Sasuke's hand, letting him know he was not alone. And Sasuke was grateful. Earlier he had resented Sakura for not taking the cat with her, but now he thanked her in spirit - Nori was a proof that she was once here.
Moonlight illuminated the living room. Sasuke took the cat in his arms and lay down on the couch. He was rested after sleeping through the night at the family home and then spending the whole day with his mother, but he closed his eyes anyway and fell asleep after a while, overwhelmed by this melancholy and heavy mood.
.
Rain rumbled bouncing against the windows in his father's study. Sasuke never thought he would find himself in this place on such a matter. But he had to protect her.
He had to!
"With which business have you come to me, son?"
Fugaku's voice shook him. Sasuke could no longer back down, even though he wanted it so badly. What he was about to do was going to bury their future together forever. Sakura would suffer because of him again, and he would not be able to explain himself this time.
"I want to divorce Sakura." It barely passed his lips.
"Why?"
His father glared at him. Sasuke straightened up, not expecting the question. He swallowed his saliva.
"I just want to break up with her."
"Why?"
Fugaku didn't relent and wasn't going to until he got what he wanted out of him.
"No..." he was afraid to say it out loud because then he would reveal his greatest weakness to his father, but nothing mattered to him anymore. He had to say it "Because I love her, do you understand? Do you think otherwise why would I leave her? Sakura is in danger because of me and my family, so if I can finally do the right thing, I want to protect her, even if I have to lose her. For me, the most important thing is her life."
For so long he had possessed the fear of loving someone, and now he was able to do anything to protect those he loved.
"So I was right. You love her." Fugaku was pleased - too much so.
"Yes."
"And what, should I tell her that you want to divorce her because you love her? Do you think that will get her to sign the papers?" he was mocking him.
But Sasuke knew what to say.
"She didn't follow your rules. She didn't take any of them seriously. She took a job at Ino's flower shop, even though she was forbidden to. And her problems with getting pregnant were a lie. Sakura didn't want to get pregnant. She didn't want to give you a grandchild." he didn't think she would say it with such calmness.
Fugaku smiled slyly.
"Go on,"
"As you would put it - she is not fit to be my wife." he was horrified by what came out of his throat "Tell her that. Make her hate me so much she'll run away from Konoha right away."
"I would love to."
.
Sasuke woke up all sweaty from the nightmare. No, not a nightmare, but a memory. What he has done will haunt him for the rest of his days. He will never rest from the burden he himself placed on his shoulders.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and got up from the couch. He could not imagine how his next days would pass. Would he lose himself in work, or would he completely sink into darkness and plunge into the gloom of an empty house? He hoped he would soon get an answer to that, but no matter what it was, it would hurt, because nothing would ever return to normal again. He had fallen in love with someone, even though he wasn't supposed to; he wasn't supposed to have any more weaknesses; and now he was suffering through it again.
Sasuke went to the kitchen and poured food into a bowl for the cat. Then he took care of himself - he washed himself, changed into fresh clothes and even styled his hair. He wasn't going to neglect himself like the first time Sakura left him. She wouldn't want him to be in such a state again.
Leaving the bathroom, he decided to go to his father and ask for some sort of mission. He could use a few days to focus on something other than his failed marriage. He probably preferred to focus on work and not his pain. He went to the living room and threw on his coat and was about to leave when he suddenly heard a buzzing in the cabinet. For the first few seconds, he had no idea what could have made such a sound, but then he remembered the little device that he continued to own after all.
Sasuke pulled the phone from the cabinet and glanced at the display.
'Sasuke, what have you done?' the message from Naruto glowed for thirty seconds until his phone went off. Sasuke wasn't going to answer him right away, but then came another message 'I'll be at your place in two minutes.'
Had his friend lost his mind? He regretted letting him put his phone number in the contacts.
Sasuke literally ran out of the house, just to escape Naruto, but he didn't get far. The blond man stood in front of him with his arms crossed.
"It wasn't two minutes." he muttered, dodging his friend, "Let's take a walk."
Getting rid of Naruto was no longer an option. This conversation had to happen.
"Are you crazy?" the seriousness in his voice made Sasuke laugh. He snorted, though it was out of place.
"A little."
"I just noticed!" Naruto chuckled on all sides, terribly angry; Sasuke couldn't blame him for it, "What tempted you to divorce her, because surely it wasn't lack of feelings?!"
They left his clan's territory and headed east. It was quieter there, farthest from the village center.
"How did you find out about this?"
Naruto sighed, annoyed that Sasuke was asking him such an insignificant question, at such an important moment.
"From Hinata, who found out from Ino, who found out from Shikamaru, who found out from your brother, because Ino told him to ask him, because when she came to your house and no one opened it and the lights were out everywhere, she got worried. But let's get back to my question!"
The news spread quickly. Before he knew it, all of Konoha would know about it and be gossiping - they would be saying that the younger son of the Uchiha is single, that he's cruel, that he's unfit for marriage, that he's looking for another wife, that he can't love and anything else that will come to their minds.
The vision of this made him angry.
"Since my brother is so eager to share this information, perhaps you know that Shisui recently went missing and has not been found until now." he didn't phrase it like a question, because he knew Naruto had no idea, and he wanted to make him aware now - to make him think.
"Shisui is missing... What?!" the blond's blue eyes widened dramatically "How did someone kidnap him?"
"Who knows. I assume he's already dead." he said it with such calmness that he couldn't believe it himself, although it barely passed his lips. Not only was his cousin his family, but in addition he was one of the few such skilled Uchihas, "And do you know who would also die if they continued to be connected to my family?" Sasuke did not hide his annoyance at the whole situation "Sakura."
That was the truth, and Naruto had to come to terms with it. No one wanted Sakura to leave, but they needed to get over it. It was only for her sake.
"And do you think she's okay now?"
"Yes, because she is no longer in Konoha. She's safe in her home village."
"Be that as it may. I forgive you for that."
But Sakura will never forgive me, he thought.
"I don't want you to forgive me."
"Hm?"
He did not pursue the subject further, and his friend did not press the issue.
Naruto stopped at a food stand, and Sasuke turned to face the crowd on the street. These people were happy and nothing threatened them. They had their own families, lovers, children and normal lives - everything Sasuke wanted and couldn't have.
Their faces and hair blended together. Except for one. At the very end of the alley, among the dark colors, a pink could be seen. A pink-haired person stood with their back to him and looked into the distance. Sasuke didn't understand anything. Was it Sakura, or just another person who happened to have such a similar hair color to her? After all, Sakura should have been far, far, far away by now...
"Sasuke." he turned abruptly at the sound of his name. Itachi pulled down his mask "Father has called a meeting."
Just now...
He turned around to catch sight of the familiar stranger once again, but there was no longer any sign of them. He wanted to believe that it was not Sakura, however, his heart told him otherwise.
.
The lights in his parents' house were extinguished. Only three candles stood on the table, presumably lit by his mother, who was not here. Exclusively four chairs were occupied - by his father, brother and two distant cousins, who were among some of Fugaku's most trusted people. The fifth was waiting for him.
Itachi took a seat to his father's right and waved to Sasuke to hurry up.
"I already thought you wouldn't make it, son." Fugaku put his elbows on the table.
"It wasn't easy to find him, he was on the other side of Konoha."
One of the cousins laughed, although there was nothing funny about it. Itachi moved restlessly in his chair.
"Ah, yes? Were you looking for something interesting there?"
Fugaku's curiosity was not accidental. He probably suspected that his son had a secret, the discovery of which would give him an advantage over him. But not this time, Sakura had really left him (or more like he had left her).
He sat across from his father, on the other end of the table, rather than to his left as always. He was no longer his pawn.
"I was with Naruto."
Fugaku did not look happy with this answer.
"I haven't heard from him in a long time. Is everything okay with him?"
"Yes."
The momentary silence meant he was waiting for more information - Sasuke wasn't going to give it to him.
"Is he happy to become a father?" he continued trying to get something out of him.
With no success.
"Certainly." he rested his chin on his joined hands "Why don't we start the meeting already? I know you're not interested in my friends' private lives."
Fugaku laughed.
"You've been bad-tempered toward me lately, Sasuke,"
"You haven't allowed me to treat you any better for some time now."
It was hard to call their relationship any kind of normal lately. Sasuke missed his "old" father, who, although he treated him from a young age like an adult responsible for his even the smallest mistakes without any second chances, at least showed him more care and love. When did Fugaku become so cold?
"Poor that father of yours is. Well, let's get started. As you know, Shisui went missing a few days ago and we had no news from him, no clues as to where he might be. However, that changed today. Interesting coincidence, isn't it, Sasuke?" his comment was unnecessary.
"Leave her out of it already."
Sakura was never at fault, Sakura was the victim here.
"Father, Sakura is a thing in the past." interjected Itachi, taking Sasuke's breath away. He knew his brother was saying this specially, and yet it hurt differently.
"As I said, today I received an anonymous letter in which the meeting place is indicated. If we want Shisui back, we have to go there and pay them a handsome sum. Of course, we will take him ourselves by our own means."
Murmurs of satisfaction and surprise passed through the living room. Only Sasuke didn't make a sound, as something didn't sit well with him here.
"Why would someone wish for death? And who do you think they are that Shisui didn't free himself from them?"
"Are you going to continue to discuss with your father?" unexpectedly, one of his cousins answered him, making him more angry.
"Yes—"
"Sasuke." his brother's firm voice silenced him "What do you propose, father?"
"Tomorrow the four of you will go to that place. You will set out in the afternoon. I reckon you'll be back by late evening."
"Yes, sir!" the cousins replied eagerly, Itachi nodded, and Sasuke did nothing; he didn't like it.
His brother got up from the table first and headed for the exit. Sasuke quickly followed him. He grabbed him by the forearm and turned him to face him.
"Do you really believe this? Because in my opinion there is something wrong here. Father doesn't tell us everything."
"It doesn't matter if he tells us or not, the important thing is that it's possible we have a clue as to Shisui's location."
He broke free from his grasp and left the house. It had been a long time since Sasuke had heard anything more reckless from Itachi. His brother had always thought twice about everything, and now he accepted a mission, just like that, without giving it a second thought, even though it seemed suspicious at first glance. Of course, Sasuke didn't want to suspect his own father of anything, but lately he had really been acting like someone else.
Stepping outside, a cherry blossom petal got tangled in his hair. Sakura. She was here somewhere, and he had to find her.
.
The streets of Konoha were deserted. Sasuke traveled all the way to the same place where he „saw" Sakura, in less than ten minutes. He hoped to find her, but just as he suspected, he found no one. A couple of people were just hanging around the only open bar, but no one else was there. That included the pink-haired woman.
He cursed in his mind and moved along the dark alley, unlit by nearby lanterns. What was he thinking - that Sakura was still here? He had done everything he could to get her to leave here, so why should she stay?
He loved her so much that she was about to start haunting him in his dreams.
A pebble bounced off his shoe and hit the wall. A hollow sound spread through the empty space. Sasuke put his hands in his pockets. Nothing here for him.
He was walking ahead when a glow of light illuminated his face. He stopped and looked up. There was a woman standing at the window - beautiful and familiar to him.
Sasuke's first instinct was to go there. But what for? To take her home? Theirs together, or her family's? Or to talk to her? To apologize?
No. He couldn't go there. He had done everything to make her hate him; to make her not want to stay here and miss him, so he wasn't going to ruin that now.
He kept her view in mind and moved on, with a plan.
Itachi had been awake since early morning. As soon as the first rays came through the curtains, he woke up and couldn't sleep a wink more. He was all tense. His body had already failed to function normally since the previous day.
The thought that Shisui might be out there somewhere - alive - was killing him and giving him hope.
He was tying his ponytail in front of the mirror when he heard a knock on the door. An unexpected visitor at nine in the morning was not unexpected enough. Itachi often had different people at different times in his house.
He went to open it.
"Sasuke." he was not surprised to see his brother on the other side "What brings you here?"
"I have a favor to ask you."
Sasuke didn't go inside, although Itachi made room for him in the entryway.
"I'm listening to you."
"Sakura is still in the village." his hand clenched into a fist "I want you to make her leave. She has to leave Konoha today. Preferably in a few hours."
"Why the rush." he leaned against the doorframe.
"We're going on a mission soon. I won't be here, and what if something happens to her then? I won't be able to protect her."
His eyes shimmered in the sunlight. Sasuke was not taking no for an answer. Itachi could not let his brother down; he had already lost one important person.
"All right."
"Thank you." he handed him a small card, "Here's the address." he said goodbye and left.
Itachi closed the door. He looked at what was written. He knew the motel. Wasting no time, he walked to the window and looked out through it. By moving over the top, he reached his destination faster. He found the entrance. A young girl was sitting at the reception desk.
"What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a certain woman. Her name is Sakura Haruno."
The receptionist looked at him quizzically.
"The one with pink hair?"
"Yes."
"Family?" she looked suspicious.
"Her ex-husband's family."
"Umm..." his answer didn't sit well with her, but she finally gave in (Itachi sometimes used his gift at inopportune moments) "She's in room three hundred and twelve."
As he climbed the stairs, he wondered how to play it. Just telling her to leave Konoha would not be effective. He needed something else, something better...
He knocked.
"Itachi." he heard her before he saw her.
"Sakura."
He smiled wryly. She still looked beautiful. He missed her and instead of spending time with her, he came to ask her to leave.
"What are you doing here?" she stood as if she had been stumped. She didn't move even an inch.
"I..." the words bogged down in his throat. He had never had such problems "You must leave Konoha." silence fell. Itachi didn't explain his decisions, but when he saw Sakura's face - the downward curved lips and sadness in her eyes - he had yet to add anything, "I'm worried about you, Sakura. It's not safe here."
"Are you the only one worried?"
She played with him.
"If I said Sasuke too, wouldn't you leave the village?"
And he along with her.
Sakura gasped for air. She hesitated. She didn't answer right away, and that was enough for him to know her answer.
"No, I would have further returned home."
"I'm the only one who's worried about you."
It was a blow below the belt that had to be dealt.
"I won't be here in an hour."
She shut the door in his face. Itachi understood, she was angry, sad, disappointed and tired.
He took the longer route as his way back. He was not in such a hurry. He gloated over the fresh air and people's conversations, circling in the wind. He loved the quiet life in Konoha (one that had been unattainable for him since childhood).
Having reached the place, he was surprised to find that the window was closed. It should have continued to be open and waiting for his return. Maybe he had hooked it wrong. So he went around to the front.
Stepping inside, a strange smell hit his nostrils. In addition to a whiff of freshness, there was a smell of... blood in the house?
His body began to work at top speed. He looked around, activated his sharingan and moved toward the open door leading to his room. He moved slowly and inaudibly.
He touched the door and opened it wider.
"They found a body in the Naka River."
Itachi swallowed his saliva with difficulty.
"Whose?"
Shisui looked at Itachi gravely, holding his stomach tightly and hissing quietly in pain.
"Your father's."
Just yesterday he was talking to him, discussing, even laughed once. No, it couldn't have been his father.
Shisui once again hissed in pain and Itachi immediately ran over to him. He lifted his shirt and looked at the wound. It was not too deep and life-threatening. It was enough to wash and bandage it. He went quickly to the bathroom, took the necessary things and sat down opposite his cousin.
"Did they find them this morning?" he asked, with a pained heart contemplating what his father must have felt when they took him from his home and killed him, and dumped his body in a place like he was nothing.
"No, Itachi, not today. This..." Shisui bit his lip into blood "That was two weeks ago."
Time stopped.
Fugaku had been dead not since today or yesterday, but for quite some time. Then who was eating, sleeping, talking and spending time with them? Who was this person, if not his father?
Who was really threatening them?
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, Itachi, you understood correctly. Your father has been dead for at least two weeks. It's all a conspiracy."
Usually he knew everything, could sense what was going on and come up with a plan of action in a few seconds, but now he had no idea what to do.
"I don't understand—"
"I was not supposed to go back. I was supposed to continue to be imprisoned. I was supposed to be your trap." he said, not letting Itachi get into his words, "Your mission was to find me and take me home. It was to be a suicide mission, you were not supposed to return from it alive, along with me. And you weren't the only ones who were going to die today. So was she." he gnashed his teeth "Sakura will die." No, no, no "And I came back, so you know what that means? They have no other way out."
"That's right, we don't."
Fugaku's face changed to the face of another man.
That was exactly what she needed - one more impulse to finally leave. Sakura closed the door behind Itachi and leaned against them. She hid her face in the hands, but did not cry; she had nothing to cry about. Her thoughts replayed all the pleasant moments she had spent with her ex-husband. This is how she wanted to remember him. Or at least she tried to, because she was immediately reminded again of that empty and cold gaze of his, which drilled a hole in her forehead. That Sasuke, the last one she remembered him as, was worse than any other version of him she had known.
Her knees bent beneath her. Was he really her Sasuke, or was it someone else? Why had she doubted him? And why shouldn't she, since she had seen and heard him perfectly at the time?
Sakura felt so confused.
She pulled her knees up and leaned her head against them, and then she heard a strange sound, like knocking on a window, coming from the bedroom. The sound repeated itself twice, then everything went quiet. Sakura held her breath, and her pulse quickened. She tuned her hearing, hoping to hear some footsteps, yet it was quiet all around; so quiet that it squeaked in her head.
Something, however, changed in the air. Sakura could smell the scent of death, coming straight toward her.
She wanted to lift herself off the ground, but then a kunai flew right past her, wounded her gently in the cheek and slammed into the wood. She stuck her eyes in the floor, afraid to lift them up and see who was standing in front of her.
Was this the end of her?
Sakura finally looked up. A thin young man with pale skin and black eyes did not take his eyes off her. Shinobi. He was going to be her reaper. This was how she was supposed to die - by doing nothing? Because what other option did she seem to have? She had no intention of begging to be spared her life. Fighting instead seemed irrational. Or not. She had practiced with Lee for something. Even if she were to lose, at least the others would know she had tried to survive. She had to hide her fear and show those people who were counting solely on her death that she was not a weak woman they could get rid of so easily.
She grabbed the kunai and pulled it out with a jerk. She stood up and started running at the boy, without any hesitation. Being close, she prepared the blade and aimed it at his stomach. Her hand approached his body at a fast pace. She almost had him already. Just a little more...
In one motion, the shinobi caught her around the waist and threw her onto the dresser. Sakura gasped and rolled onto her back. She tried to get up, but gave up after the first time, when she felt pain spreading throughout her body. There was nothing she could do, and the stranger began to approach her.
And the last person she could think of was her ex-husband.
Sasuke...
Hey, I hope you haven't forgotten about me yet! I know it's been seven months since the last chapter, and you've probably long forgotten what exactly happened in the previous ones (this story itself is about to be two years old!), but I hope you're still having as much fun with it as I did while writing it.
I have one last chapter left to write, and I don't want to promise you unknowable things, but I assure you that it will appear sooner than this one. For the past months I've been struggling with a huge lack of time through personal issues (adult life is awful and great at the same time), so when I have been writing I've been focusing on my authorial idea, which consumes a lot of time (juhu fantasy), and I've been relegating this fanfic to the background and treating it more like such an offshoot of a more absorbing story.
It's nice to come back here and share my little story with you! Until the next one!