New Fic-- Or Adi Is Very Sorry She Keeps Disappearing, and Brought Treats
STAYING
Sasuke was less than six feet away from her, and she’d never felt more alone in her entire life. He might as well have been miles away.
“I have both family and friends,” she admitted to him, “but if you were no longer here, Sasuke-kun… for me, it would be the same as solitude.” Stay with me, she thought as hard as she could, ignoring the tears she could feel streaking down her face and blurring her vision, so she could only see outlines on the dark street. Please stay…
He was so still, too far away to touch, even though she’d only need to take a few steps to reach him. She knew, somehow, that reaching out physically right now would only make him run.
“From here again, we’re going to start walking our new paths individually,” he informed her, voice too calm to be anything but cutting. She gritted her teeth, feeling a sure thing in her life crumble away into dust. I love you so much, she thought as hard as she could at his back. I don’t have anything else to offer you. Why isn’t that enough anymore? Why is your family so much more important than me?
She knew that he cared about them. The day that Itachi had come back, Sasuke had looked panicked. His face had reminded her of that time in the forest, when Orochimaru had been coming for them and Sasuke was all alone in protecting them, Naruto nowhere to be found. Would you have stayed if it had been him standing here instead of me? she thought, shame and bitter jealousy biting at the back of her throat. Is it because I can’t keep up with the both of you?
She’d been silent too long. He’d started walking again. Panic caught at her throat now, as he slipped further into the dark with every passing breath. Her love for him wasn’t enough. She cast about wildly, trying to find some way to make him stop, sending her mind whirring through all the memories she had of them together. But she got caught, over and over, on the memories of them already apart: Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei in hospital beds and unresponsive, Naruto far away from them, and her all alone, listening to the overwhelming silence of the hospital.
Except the hospital hadn’t truly been silent-visitors and patients having their own hushed conversations in the seeming isolation of an incongruously busy building, and Sakura had overheard one conversation in particular that might hold Sasuke here when nothing else would. Is he enough, where I am not?
“Itachi is going to kill Naruto!” she shouted at his back.
She didn’t see him move in the dark. One moment he was a vague outline against even deeper shadows, still for a heartbeat, and two; the next he was right in front of her, filling her vision, stiff as a statue and just as silent, fists clenched and eyes digging into her like he wanted to reach into her head and physically take out what she knew.
But at least he was looking at her. She opened her mouth and spoke as quickly as she could.
“I heard Asuma-sensei and Anko-sensei talking in the hospital,” she started, “when you were hurt and Naruto was away. They were saying that the group that your brother is part of is looking for people who have something inside of them, and that they’re trying to kidnap people so that they can… they sounded like they wanted to rip something out of him, Sasuke-kun! Like there was something maybe in his stomach that they wanted to just pull out. I… they didn’t say what they meant,” she wailed, frustration and fear for her other teammate coming back full force. “I’m so scared, Sasuke-kun! Itachi is so powerful, and when he fought Kakashi-sensei…”
“Stop talking,” Sasuke interrupted, voice sudden enough to crack like a whip in the otherwise silent street. Her mouth clicked shut. She stood before him, watching as he stared over her shoulder at nothing, jaw tight and breathing quickly. She could feel the exhalations going past her ear, he was so close. Biting her lip, she dragged her eyes away from him to look over his shoulder at the road winding off into the night. She could barely make out the individual trees on either side, if she strained.
He closed his eyes, finally, the movement drawing her attention better than any light. He evened his breathing into something close to meditation, and when he opened them again he seemed a little calmer.
“I was going to tell you before,” she told him, feeling jittery and a little guilty. “I was, but when you woke up you and Naruto had that fight, and I…” forgot. No need to tell him that, she thought, feeling herself blush. She didn’t think he’d be too happy to find out that she’d been too distracted-her cares too narrowed on him-to tell him about his brother.
He stared at her for a second, then rolled his eyes, suddenly just Sasuke again-here with her, now, when before he’d been too far to reach. “Che… Stupid,” he muttered, stepping back and shoving his balled fists into his pockets, and she could practically feel the ‘girl’ that was probably tacked onto the end of that in his head. “Tell me now,” he ordered, before she could decide if she was hurt or annoyed at his disdain.
She sulked a little, but did as he said. “They were in Kakashi-sensei’s room,” she started. “They called the group ‘Akatsuki,’ and they said… well, it seemed like they were saying that Akatsuki is looking for a lot of people like Naruto, and that they…” she bit her lip. “It really seemed like they wanted to rip something out of him, Sasuke-kun, though they didn’t say what exactly. But Anko-sensei said that it had only been a matter of time until someone tried to get at it, whatever it is, and then she said that it was a shame, because Naruto is a brat, but he’s also just a kid, and…” she gulped. “And if they come for him again, I don’t know what we could do, Sasuke-kun! They… it’s Naruto, and he’s… well, he’s Naruto. He couldn’t fight them off on his own, and Kakashi-sensei got hurt last time he tried to fight them, and so did you, and everyone hates Naruto!” she continued, warming to the topic. “I don’t know why, really, but nobody really likes him except us, and maybe the other senseis and genin. And that means that nobody will try to help him when they come back, and he’ll just die, and none of us will be able to do anything about it!”
Sasuke didn’t say anything at all through her explanation-far away again, staring out into the dark instead of looking at her, but more like he was lost in his thoughts than anything else. When she finished (well, drew breath, really), he reached up absentmindedly and wrapped a hand around the strap of his bag. He hasn’t said that he’ll stay yet, she thought, the realization crashing down around her. Her heart rate kicked up.
“So… so you have to stay,” she told him, closing the distance again and reaching out to touch his arm lightly. He shrugged it off, reflexive, like he’d done tons of times before, but it still stung like a rejection. She stayed where she was anyway, undeniably in his personal space, close enough to touch, and kept going. “You have to stay, because Naruto needs people who can help him, and… and anyway, if they’re after something inside him, then Itachi will have to come back, and if you’re here, then you can fight him again!”
Sasuke broke out of his thoughts and back to her, glaring for all he was worth. “I wouldn’t use Naruto as bait,” he snapped. “Do you know how dangerous Itachi is?” Sakura winced. Sasuke made a disgusted sound and looked away from her. “They could come any time,” he murmured, more to himself than to her, “and I…” he cut himself off with a shake of his head, gritting his teeth. Sakura’s heart sank.
That’s it, she thought. He’ll definitely leave now. Orochimaru had said that Sasuke would go to him for power, and now Sasuke thought he needed to be strong fast, to save Naruto. He wouldn’t stay.
Except, even as she thought it, he walked around her again, this time back into the village, his steps as determined as they’d been while he was walking past her not too long ago.
“What…” she began, startled. She ran to close the distance between them again, falling into step just behind him once she’d caught up. He glanced at her and back to the road, still silent. Sakura sighed quietly, and looked forward at the road stretching out in front of them, barely visible in the dark, and counted her heartbeats. A breeze ruffled her hair, carrying with it a few dead leaves as it wound its way down the road and back into town.
“I can give Naruto a chance to run, if that man comes before I can kill him,” Sasuke declared suddenly. She startled and looked at him. The statement sounded like it ought to echo in the still night, like he was imparting to her a conclusion he’d come to after hours of contemplation. “It’s not enough, but Naruto can take care of himself with a head start. Mostly.” The insult was tamer than any he’d use with Naruto there to defend himself, and the quirk on his lips could really only be described as fond. She recognized it. She’d used it herself.
Not that Sakura liked the sound of Sasuke sacrificing himself so that Naruto could run, of course, but she wouldn’t say so now. He was still here, and he was staying. It didn’t matter what reason he was giving himself to do it, really. “So… so you’re going back home?” Sakura asked, needing to hear him say it to truly believe it.
“No,” he answered, and her heart froze in her chest. “We’re going to the Hokage,” he continued. “She hasn’t been here very long. She might not know the situation. Plus, if I’m not going with them, she should know that Orochimaru’s men are in the village,” he added wryly.
“What?” Sakura knew her voice was high enough to qualify as a shriek, but she didn’t care. Sasuke looked at her, exasperation painted all over his face.
“How else was I going to get there?” he asked, as though this were a reasonable response.
“You… but…” she stammered, eyes wide from shock and voice still too high. “Orochimaru’s men are in the village?”
“I was leaving. Stop screeching in my ear,” he grumbled, sounding like Naruto at his most sullen. “I’m reporting it now.”
Sakura clamped down firmly on the entirely new urge to smack him in the head. There was time, now, for that later. Right this second, she had enemy nin to report and two stupid teammates to protect. She smiled, and this time counted their footsteps as they closed the distance into the center of town, lit up by street lights against the night.
***
On to Part II
You know the drill, everyone! All comments are welcome, and any concrit you may have is loved into itty bitty bits. ♥ Next part soon!
PS: If anyone can come up with a better title for this bit than "Five Things..." I would really appreciate suggestions. Titles and I have been at war for years. XD
EDIT: Because all of my italics decided to go away. Should be fixed now... *headdesk*
Sasuke was less than six feet away from her, and she’d never felt more alone in her entire life. He might as well have been miles away.
“I have both family and friends,” she admitted to him, “but if you were no longer here, Sasuke-kun… for me, it would be the same as solitude.” Stay with me, she thought as hard as she could, ignoring the tears she could feel streaking down her face and blurring her vision, so she could only see outlines on the dark street. Please stay…
He was so still, too far away to touch, even though she’d only need to take a few steps to reach him. She knew, somehow, that reaching out physically right now would only make him run.
“From here again, we’re going to start walking our new paths individually,” he informed her, voice too calm to be anything but cutting. She gritted her teeth, feeling a sure thing in her life crumble away into dust. I love you so much, she thought as hard as she could at his back. I don’t have anything else to offer you. Why isn’t that enough anymore? Why is your family so much more important than me?
She knew that he cared about them. The day that Itachi had come back, Sasuke had looked panicked. His face had reminded her of that time in the forest, when Orochimaru had been coming for them and Sasuke was all alone in protecting them, Naruto nowhere to be found. Would you have stayed if it had been him standing here instead of me? she thought, shame and bitter jealousy biting at the back of her throat. Is it because I can’t keep up with the both of you?
She’d been silent too long. He’d started walking again. Panic caught at her throat now, as he slipped further into the dark with every passing breath. Her love for him wasn’t enough. She cast about wildly, trying to find some way to make him stop, sending her mind whirring through all the memories she had of them together. But she got caught, over and over, on the memories of them already apart: Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei in hospital beds and unresponsive, Naruto far away from them, and her all alone, listening to the overwhelming silence of the hospital.
Except the hospital hadn’t truly been silent-visitors and patients having their own hushed conversations in the seeming isolation of an incongruously busy building, and Sakura had overheard one conversation in particular that might hold Sasuke here when nothing else would. Is he enough, where I am not?
“Itachi is going to kill Naruto!” she shouted at his back.
She didn’t see him move in the dark. One moment he was a vague outline against even deeper shadows, still for a heartbeat, and two; the next he was right in front of her, filling her vision, stiff as a statue and just as silent, fists clenched and eyes digging into her like he wanted to reach into her head and physically take out what she knew.
But at least he was looking at her. She opened her mouth and spoke as quickly as she could.
“I heard Asuma-sensei and Anko-sensei talking in the hospital,” she started, “when you were hurt and Naruto was away. They were saying that the group that your brother is part of is looking for people who have something inside of them, and that they’re trying to kidnap people so that they can… they sounded like they wanted to rip something out of him, Sasuke-kun! Like there was something maybe in his stomach that they wanted to just pull out. I… they didn’t say what they meant,” she wailed, frustration and fear for her other teammate coming back full force. “I’m so scared, Sasuke-kun! Itachi is so powerful, and when he fought Kakashi-sensei…”
“Stop talking,” Sasuke interrupted, voice sudden enough to crack like a whip in the otherwise silent street. Her mouth clicked shut. She stood before him, watching as he stared over her shoulder at nothing, jaw tight and breathing quickly. She could feel the exhalations going past her ear, he was so close. Biting her lip, she dragged her eyes away from him to look over his shoulder at the road winding off into the night. She could barely make out the individual trees on either side, if she strained.
He closed his eyes, finally, the movement drawing her attention better than any light. He evened his breathing into something close to meditation, and when he opened them again he seemed a little calmer.
“I was going to tell you before,” she told him, feeling jittery and a little guilty. “I was, but when you woke up you and Naruto had that fight, and I…” forgot. No need to tell him that, she thought, feeling herself blush. She didn’t think he’d be too happy to find out that she’d been too distracted-her cares too narrowed on him-to tell him about his brother.
He stared at her for a second, then rolled his eyes, suddenly just Sasuke again-here with her, now, when before he’d been too far to reach. “Che… Stupid,” he muttered, stepping back and shoving his balled fists into his pockets, and she could practically feel the ‘girl’ that was probably tacked onto the end of that in his head. “Tell me now,” he ordered, before she could decide if she was hurt or annoyed at his disdain.
She sulked a little, but did as he said. “They were in Kakashi-sensei’s room,” she started. “They called the group ‘Akatsuki,’ and they said… well, it seemed like they were saying that Akatsuki is looking for a lot of people like Naruto, and that they…” she bit her lip. “It really seemed like they wanted to rip something out of him, Sasuke-kun, though they didn’t say what exactly. But Anko-sensei said that it had only been a matter of time until someone tried to get at it, whatever it is, and then she said that it was a shame, because Naruto is a brat, but he’s also just a kid, and…” she gulped. “And if they come for him again, I don’t know what we could do, Sasuke-kun! They… it’s Naruto, and he’s… well, he’s Naruto. He couldn’t fight them off on his own, and Kakashi-sensei got hurt last time he tried to fight them, and so did you, and everyone hates Naruto!” she continued, warming to the topic. “I don’t know why, really, but nobody really likes him except us, and maybe the other senseis and genin. And that means that nobody will try to help him when they come back, and he’ll just die, and none of us will be able to do anything about it!”
Sasuke didn’t say anything at all through her explanation-far away again, staring out into the dark instead of looking at her, but more like he was lost in his thoughts than anything else. When she finished (well, drew breath, really), he reached up absentmindedly and wrapped a hand around the strap of his bag. He hasn’t said that he’ll stay yet, she thought, the realization crashing down around her. Her heart rate kicked up.
“So… so you have to stay,” she told him, closing the distance again and reaching out to touch his arm lightly. He shrugged it off, reflexive, like he’d done tons of times before, but it still stung like a rejection. She stayed where she was anyway, undeniably in his personal space, close enough to touch, and kept going. “You have to stay, because Naruto needs people who can help him, and… and anyway, if they’re after something inside him, then Itachi will have to come back, and if you’re here, then you can fight him again!”
Sasuke broke out of his thoughts and back to her, glaring for all he was worth. “I wouldn’t use Naruto as bait,” he snapped. “Do you know how dangerous Itachi is?” Sakura winced. Sasuke made a disgusted sound and looked away from her. “They could come any time,” he murmured, more to himself than to her, “and I…” he cut himself off with a shake of his head, gritting his teeth. Sakura’s heart sank.
That’s it, she thought. He’ll definitely leave now. Orochimaru had said that Sasuke would go to him for power, and now Sasuke thought he needed to be strong fast, to save Naruto. He wouldn’t stay.
Except, even as she thought it, he walked around her again, this time back into the village, his steps as determined as they’d been while he was walking past her not too long ago.
“What…” she began, startled. She ran to close the distance between them again, falling into step just behind him once she’d caught up. He glanced at her and back to the road, still silent. Sakura sighed quietly, and looked forward at the road stretching out in front of them, barely visible in the dark, and counted her heartbeats. A breeze ruffled her hair, carrying with it a few dead leaves as it wound its way down the road and back into town.
“I can give Naruto a chance to run, if that man comes before I can kill him,” Sasuke declared suddenly. She startled and looked at him. The statement sounded like it ought to echo in the still night, like he was imparting to her a conclusion he’d come to after hours of contemplation. “It’s not enough, but Naruto can take care of himself with a head start. Mostly.” The insult was tamer than any he’d use with Naruto there to defend himself, and the quirk on his lips could really only be described as fond. She recognized it. She’d used it herself.
Not that Sakura liked the sound of Sasuke sacrificing himself so that Naruto could run, of course, but she wouldn’t say so now. He was still here, and he was staying. It didn’t matter what reason he was giving himself to do it, really. “So… so you’re going back home?” Sakura asked, needing to hear him say it to truly believe it.
“No,” he answered, and her heart froze in her chest. “We’re going to the Hokage,” he continued. “She hasn’t been here very long. She might not know the situation. Plus, if I’m not going with them, she should know that Orochimaru’s men are in the village,” he added wryly.
“What?” Sakura knew her voice was high enough to qualify as a shriek, but she didn’t care. Sasuke looked at her, exasperation painted all over his face.
“How else was I going to get there?” he asked, as though this were a reasonable response.
“You… but…” she stammered, eyes wide from shock and voice still too high. “Orochimaru’s men are in the village?”
“I was leaving. Stop screeching in my ear,” he grumbled, sounding like Naruto at his most sullen. “I’m reporting it now.”
Sakura clamped down firmly on the entirely new urge to smack him in the head. There was time, now, for that later. Right this second, she had enemy nin to report and two stupid teammates to protect. She smiled, and this time counted their footsteps as they closed the distance into the center of town, lit up by street lights against the night.
***
On to Part II
You know the drill, everyone! All comments are welcome, and any concrit you may have is loved into itty bitty bits. ♥ Next part soon!
PS: If anyone can come up with a better title for this bit than "Five Things..." I would really appreciate suggestions. Titles and I have been at war for years. XD
EDIT: Because all of my italics decided to go away. Should be fixed now... *headdesk*