Captive - III
Title: Captive
Summary: As the Fates would have it, a Greek general and an Amazon princess meet on opposite sides of the Trojan War.
Theme: Chance Meetings
Prompt: self-sacrifice
Medium: fanfic
Rating: K+
Warning(s): Mild violence. Death.
Comments: Really rushed, sorry.
Sasuke was the fastest man in the Greek army, but not fast enough to save her life.
Desperate to protect her fallen sister’s body, Sakura had brutally fought off all the Achaeans seeking to desecrate it. She was a glorious fighter - raw power masked by fluid grace. But for all her glory, she could not have guarded herself against the stone Deidara hurled in her direction.
As Deidara’s arm slung into motion, a distinct, poignant pain burst in Sasuke’s chest. All breath left him as the stone followed its fated trajectory. Sasuke could only watch as slowly, Sakura turned in Deidara’s direction, eyes widening as she took in the unorthodox weapon mere feet from her head.
With uncanny timing, a silver arrow shot through to swerve the stone away from Sakura. Wasting no time, Sakura flung her spear at the Akatsuki. It caught him in the eye. Deidara fell dead.
His attention never leaving Sakura, Sasuke deftly continued to vanquish his opponents. His heart had sighed with relief at Deidara’s death. Sasuke felt no remorse at all for such traitorous feelings - his brothers-in-arm, like he, fought for neither country nor honor. They were merely pawns in Madara’s game, taking one battle at a time for the sake of survival.
A sonorous, sorrowful cry came from the distance. The sounds of chaos followed. Though reluctant to take his attention away from Sakura, Sasuke moved towards the source of the chaos, easily eliminating the Trojans that stood in his way.
The cry had come from his uncle Obito. He was on his knees, leaning over the corpse of a fallen Uchiha.
A fallen Uchiha wearing the gleaming bronze of Itachi’s armor.
Shisui was dead. Shisui, who had been like another brother. Shisui, who Itachi treasured above all. Shisui, who of all of the Achaeans had truly sacrificed himself for Greece.
But there was no time for grief. Already, hungry Trojan eyes eyed the body, eager to unleash their fury upon the corpse.
Relinquishing his shield, Sasuke gripped the shoulder of the nearest Achaean. “Who put my cousin to rest?”
The wide-eyed warrior shook his head, tears mixing with the streaks of blood marring his cheeks. “Prince Sasuke! A stone - but no one saw who hurled it. Those blasted Trojans!”
Instinctively, Sasuke knew. It was no Trojan who had sent Shisui to his end - surely any one of them who did so would eagerly claim his glory. No, this was not by any Trojan’s designs.
One way or another, Madara had engineered Shisui’s demise.
Yet the king's machinations were only secondary at the moment - the Greeks had to be reorganized for utter defense. The utmost priority was returning Shishui’s body to the Greek encampment. “You shall serve as messenger. Return to camp, tell Itachi of Shisui’s fall.” Sasuke hesitated before adding, “Tell him the old man has shed his sheepskin.”
However strange the orders were, the man obeyed without question. Sasuke let him go, watching as he disappeared through the ranks. Confident the man would succeed in his mission, Sasuke hastily retrieved his shield before pressing onwards to his uncle, whom a band of Acheans had formed a protective ring around.
Sasuke joined the circle, slaying a handful of Trojans before entering the temporary sanctuary within. Obito looked up, and at the sight of his young nephew gave a broken sob.
“Uncle,” Sasuke said as gently as he could. “We must move the body.”
As if drawing power from Sasuke’s cool, Obito regained his bearings. “Indeed,” the elder Uchiha said, voice cracking slightly. “Can we proceed back in circular phalanx formation?”
Sasuke nodded. “Already, our forces have risen to defend you and Shisui. They will be easy to arrange. Can you carry the body?”
“Could you help me?”
“No, I must fend off Naruto’s advances. I shall have a man aid you in my stead.”
“All right,” Obito said. “You are beloved by Zeus - may he guide your steps such that you do not fall in the same way your cousin has.” Though grief still weighed upon both, Obito managed a wry smile. “Or not even Olympus shall be spared from Itachi’s wrath.”
Sasuke gave another nod, then announced to the surrounding Achaeans. “Take Obito and Shisui back in circular phalanx formation. Let the second highest in rank among you aid my uncle in carrying the body.”
Without pausing to see if his orders had been carried out, Sasuke departed. He had seen men from Taka, his own troops, amongst those defending his kin. He had trained those men himself - his confidence in their ability to ensure the deliverance of his will was unshakeable.
He had to be similarly trustworthy, similarly self-sacrificing. So Sasuke proceeded to where he knew Naruto would be pushing Achaean resistance to its limits.
The remorse he had earlier failed to feel caught up with him now, blending with the loss of a most beloved relative. Whatever it was Sakura held over him, he was obligated to have more control of it.
That was not to say he relinquished it entirely. Conveniently, the trail to Naruto coincided with where she had been fighting earlier. But the girl, more clever perhaps than he gave her credit for, had taken advantage of the chaos over Shishui’s fall. She and her sister’s body were nowhere to be found.
The handful of silver arrows dotting the ground, however, did not escape his notice. Arrows he realized were not employed by either the Greek or Trojan armies. The concentration of them in that area alone was enough to incite wonder - but for them to be beyond the battle altogether?
Nevertheless, Sasuke pushed these things to the back of his mind. Before Sakura, there was Greece. Before that, family. Presently, the Trojans were threatening both.
It was time to face Naruto, prince of Troy.
-
Both armies had agreed to allot eleven days of peace for Shisui’s funeral proper. That was the excuse - truly, both armies tired. Time was essential for recuperation and reassessment.
On one of these eleven, Sasuke and Sakura met. As was the norm with these two, the meeting was neither planned nor expected. It was on the very same cliff as their last meeting. Sasuke had climbed to see a clearer view of the funeral pyre being constructed. Apparently, Sakura had had similar intentions.
Naturally, all these were forgotten as they caught sight of one another. Sasuke sat beside her. There were no greetings.
“I see we have both lost cousins.”
So it was her cousin’s body she had fought to defend. However, this, Sasuke did not want to speak of. Without any preamble, he asked, “Why does Apollo favor you so?”
“Many reasons.”
“Give one.”
Sakura sighed. “He is my father.”
Shocked as he was, Sasuke did not allow any of this to show outwardly. “You are not to die in this war then?”
“Apollo has made it so.”
“God of healing, he of silver arrows. I should have known.”
“Nay. You should never have.”
How dare she withhold from him the surety of her fate? Sasuke let out a grunt. Somehow, this amused Sakura, who chuckled lightly in return.
“You and Naruto are very evenly matched,” she said abruptly. “Determined to lay down his life for Hinata as he is, he cannot hide how thrilled he is to cross swords with you.”
“Thrilled is hardly the word.”
“Perhaps. He might not hesitate to kill you.”
“Che. I have no intentions of sacrificing myself for Greece entirely.”
Sakura gave him a light kick. “Truly? How noble.”
Fulfilling a desire earlier thwarted, Sasuke raised a hand to allow his fingers to play over the slopes of her cheek. He did not tell her there were parts of him no longer his to give up. Parts of him that beyond all reason belonged to her. Indeed, family and Greece preceded her - but even fools know that the heart wants what the heart wants, heedless of consequence.
Surprisingly, Sakura blushed at his ministrations. The pink of her cheeks and the pink of her hair and the pink of her lips - altogether, she was too much. For the first time in what seemed like eons, Sasuke found reason to laugh.
Glossary
phalanx - formation wherein shields are raised side by side to form a shield wall. Spears rest upon the shields, waiting to stab an opponent clean through. >:)
Summary: As the Fates would have it, a Greek general and an Amazon princess meet on opposite sides of the Trojan War.
Theme: Chance Meetings
Prompt: self-sacrifice
Medium: fanfic
Rating: K+
Warning(s): Mild violence. Death.
Comments: Really rushed, sorry.
Sasuke was the fastest man in the Greek army, but not fast enough to save her life.
Desperate to protect her fallen sister’s body, Sakura had brutally fought off all the Achaeans seeking to desecrate it. She was a glorious fighter - raw power masked by fluid grace. But for all her glory, she could not have guarded herself against the stone Deidara hurled in her direction.
As Deidara’s arm slung into motion, a distinct, poignant pain burst in Sasuke’s chest. All breath left him as the stone followed its fated trajectory. Sasuke could only watch as slowly, Sakura turned in Deidara’s direction, eyes widening as she took in the unorthodox weapon mere feet from her head.
With uncanny timing, a silver arrow shot through to swerve the stone away from Sakura. Wasting no time, Sakura flung her spear at the Akatsuki. It caught him in the eye. Deidara fell dead.
His attention never leaving Sakura, Sasuke deftly continued to vanquish his opponents. His heart had sighed with relief at Deidara’s death. Sasuke felt no remorse at all for such traitorous feelings - his brothers-in-arm, like he, fought for neither country nor honor. They were merely pawns in Madara’s game, taking one battle at a time for the sake of survival.
A sonorous, sorrowful cry came from the distance. The sounds of chaos followed. Though reluctant to take his attention away from Sakura, Sasuke moved towards the source of the chaos, easily eliminating the Trojans that stood in his way.
The cry had come from his uncle Obito. He was on his knees, leaning over the corpse of a fallen Uchiha.
A fallen Uchiha wearing the gleaming bronze of Itachi’s armor.
Shisui was dead. Shisui, who had been like another brother. Shisui, who Itachi treasured above all. Shisui, who of all of the Achaeans had truly sacrificed himself for Greece.
But there was no time for grief. Already, hungry Trojan eyes eyed the body, eager to unleash their fury upon the corpse.
Relinquishing his shield, Sasuke gripped the shoulder of the nearest Achaean. “Who put my cousin to rest?”
The wide-eyed warrior shook his head, tears mixing with the streaks of blood marring his cheeks. “Prince Sasuke! A stone - but no one saw who hurled it. Those blasted Trojans!”
Instinctively, Sasuke knew. It was no Trojan who had sent Shisui to his end - surely any one of them who did so would eagerly claim his glory. No, this was not by any Trojan’s designs.
One way or another, Madara had engineered Shisui’s demise.
Yet the king's machinations were only secondary at the moment - the Greeks had to be reorganized for utter defense. The utmost priority was returning Shishui’s body to the Greek encampment. “You shall serve as messenger. Return to camp, tell Itachi of Shisui’s fall.” Sasuke hesitated before adding, “Tell him the old man has shed his sheepskin.”
However strange the orders were, the man obeyed without question. Sasuke let him go, watching as he disappeared through the ranks. Confident the man would succeed in his mission, Sasuke hastily retrieved his shield before pressing onwards to his uncle, whom a band of Acheans had formed a protective ring around.
Sasuke joined the circle, slaying a handful of Trojans before entering the temporary sanctuary within. Obito looked up, and at the sight of his young nephew gave a broken sob.
“Uncle,” Sasuke said as gently as he could. “We must move the body.”
As if drawing power from Sasuke’s cool, Obito regained his bearings. “Indeed,” the elder Uchiha said, voice cracking slightly. “Can we proceed back in circular phalanx formation?”
Sasuke nodded. “Already, our forces have risen to defend you and Shisui. They will be easy to arrange. Can you carry the body?”
“Could you help me?”
“No, I must fend off Naruto’s advances. I shall have a man aid you in my stead.”
“All right,” Obito said. “You are beloved by Zeus - may he guide your steps such that you do not fall in the same way your cousin has.” Though grief still weighed upon both, Obito managed a wry smile. “Or not even Olympus shall be spared from Itachi’s wrath.”
Sasuke gave another nod, then announced to the surrounding Achaeans. “Take Obito and Shisui back in circular phalanx formation. Let the second highest in rank among you aid my uncle in carrying the body.”
Without pausing to see if his orders had been carried out, Sasuke departed. He had seen men from Taka, his own troops, amongst those defending his kin. He had trained those men himself - his confidence in their ability to ensure the deliverance of his will was unshakeable.
He had to be similarly trustworthy, similarly self-sacrificing. So Sasuke proceeded to where he knew Naruto would be pushing Achaean resistance to its limits.
The remorse he had earlier failed to feel caught up with him now, blending with the loss of a most beloved relative. Whatever it was Sakura held over him, he was obligated to have more control of it.
That was not to say he relinquished it entirely. Conveniently, the trail to Naruto coincided with where she had been fighting earlier. But the girl, more clever perhaps than he gave her credit for, had taken advantage of the chaos over Shishui’s fall. She and her sister’s body were nowhere to be found.
The handful of silver arrows dotting the ground, however, did not escape his notice. Arrows he realized were not employed by either the Greek or Trojan armies. The concentration of them in that area alone was enough to incite wonder - but for them to be beyond the battle altogether?
Nevertheless, Sasuke pushed these things to the back of his mind. Before Sakura, there was Greece. Before that, family. Presently, the Trojans were threatening both.
It was time to face Naruto, prince of Troy.
-
Both armies had agreed to allot eleven days of peace for Shisui’s funeral proper. That was the excuse - truly, both armies tired. Time was essential for recuperation and reassessment.
On one of these eleven, Sasuke and Sakura met. As was the norm with these two, the meeting was neither planned nor expected. It was on the very same cliff as their last meeting. Sasuke had climbed to see a clearer view of the funeral pyre being constructed. Apparently, Sakura had had similar intentions.
Naturally, all these were forgotten as they caught sight of one another. Sasuke sat beside her. There were no greetings.
“I see we have both lost cousins.”
So it was her cousin’s body she had fought to defend. However, this, Sasuke did not want to speak of. Without any preamble, he asked, “Why does Apollo favor you so?”
“Many reasons.”
“Give one.”
Sakura sighed. “He is my father.”
Shocked as he was, Sasuke did not allow any of this to show outwardly. “You are not to die in this war then?”
“Apollo has made it so.”
“God of healing, he of silver arrows. I should have known.”
“Nay. You should never have.”
How dare she withhold from him the surety of her fate? Sasuke let out a grunt. Somehow, this amused Sakura, who chuckled lightly in return.
“You and Naruto are very evenly matched,” she said abruptly. “Determined to lay down his life for Hinata as he is, he cannot hide how thrilled he is to cross swords with you.”
“Thrilled is hardly the word.”
“Perhaps. He might not hesitate to kill you.”
“Che. I have no intentions of sacrificing myself for Greece entirely.”
Sakura gave him a light kick. “Truly? How noble.”
Fulfilling a desire earlier thwarted, Sasuke raised a hand to allow his fingers to play over the slopes of her cheek. He did not tell her there were parts of him no longer his to give up. Parts of him that beyond all reason belonged to her. Indeed, family and Greece preceded her - but even fools know that the heart wants what the heart wants, heedless of consequence.
Surprisingly, Sakura blushed at his ministrations. The pink of her cheeks and the pink of her hair and the pink of her lips - altogether, she was too much. For the first time in what seemed like eons, Sasuke found reason to laugh.
Glossary
phalanx - formation wherein shields are raised side by side to form a shield wall. Spears rest upon the shields, waiting to stab an opponent clean through. >:)