SasuSaku MonthDay 9: Written in the stars..
Sasusaku Month
Day 1
Prompt: Heroes
Prompt: Sasusaku Month Day 1, Heroes
Summary: Sasuke is a lone hero in Leaf City who fights crime under the name Kagutsuchi but his path of loneliness takes a surprising turn when a new hero, or rather, a new heroine joins the fray.
Notes: Pretty much me taking the prompt really seriously and drawing inspiration from BNHA, The Incredibles 2 and batcat drama going on rn.
Dealing with that apartment fire took more time that Sasuke anticipated. Even with his blessing, Amaterasu; his dominion over flames, Sasuke took the better of half an hour to stifle the blaze. Now, slightly winded and intensely anxious, Sasuke, or rather ‘ Kagutsuchi ’ as he is called by the citizenship, hurriedly set off to initiate his daily patrol of Leaf City. The sole remnant of his presence, the smoldering ashes of a once grand complex left at his back.
Time continues to burn away like the wick of a dying candle and nearly two years have gone by since Sasuke’s brother, Itachi, had died while the two engaged two super villains rampaging at Senju Square, leaving Sasuke, now just shy of twenty-five, alone to carry on his brother’s will in protecting their home. When not preoccupied with extinguishing evil in this city, Sasuke leads his family, the Uchiha’s, land development conglomerate. Despite his loss, Sasuke embraces the loneliness and fuels the kindle of his ambition, his duty, with the loss of Itachi.
“It’s past six,” Sasuke announced as he danced across the roof tops, a fireball blazing across the metropolis. By now the sun had begun its descent, melting into the horizon with shades of scarlet and marigold dancing,staining the inky purple clouds over the city. “I didn’t expect a fire to start this evening but at least it seems like the city is calm otherwise.” Despite his success in quelling the fire for some reason or the other a feeling of uneasiness and panic flared within him. As if something or someone was waiting… was plotting. As those words escaped his lips Sasuke was alerted to a disturbance, a loud crash, the sound of an explosion.
As Sasuke could see no form of fire in any direction, he relied on his hearing and sourced the disturbance. The sound emanated westerly, at the heart of Katsuyu Gardens, in the past a peaceful district and an easy patrol. However in recent months this middle class district saw an uprising in crime, specifically kidnappings of teenagers. The victims are snatched with no ransom demands and, perhaps most astonishing of all, are returned a few weeks following their abduction with no memory of their plight and the onset of weakness from anemia plaguing them. Despite Sasuke’s investigations, he still has no answer as to who was the mastermind here and what was his/her intentions. He hurriedly entered Hernandez Street, now ready to face his enemies. Now, faced with a new problem in Katsuyu Gardens, the hero known as Kagutsuchi swiftly bounded towards his next mission, incognizant of the peril, of the struggle that would soon meet him. Could his answers lie here?
“How many of these bastards are there?!” Sakura thundered as one by one she fell the mysterious Anbu mercenaries, as they dubbed themselves, that lay in front of her. Impressive as they fought, Sakura, code named Haruno, currently held the upper hand due to, in no small part, her blessing, ‘Strength of One Hundred’ channeled through her mastery of the oriental fighting styles. “Shannaro!” she bellowed as her fist bombarded the asphalt of the basketball court in which she fought, calling forth an explosion that upended the earth at the feet of her attackers and launched them in all directions, launching them into submission. She didn’t expect to be dealing with all of this. A simple investigation into the surge in kidnappings in Katsuyu Gardens shouldn’t have led to this, at least she didn’t expect it to. Who knew that following a tip about teens meeting here to join a new cult would result in dozens of men joining the fray with even more men charging in as back up, all set on slaughtering her? However as those men fell by means of the exploding earth, more came forth parading weapons, targets set on the young woman: katana, guns and loose chains. The gunshots were tricky but through using the monster strength granted to her by her blessing, Sakura’s creation of sonic waves in the otherwise still night air repelled all projectiles into the flesh of the men who sent them forth.
Unfortunately for the young kunoichi, a hero channeling the Japanese ninja in the modern age, while her stamina dimmed, that of the army’s new troops were at their zenith. In addition to this condition, her resolution as a hero to never kill weighed on her chances of victory and more importantly, her chances of survival. Alone, with the frigid night air brushing against her bare arms, Sakura knew it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed. As a fresh wave of attackers surged forward, she steeled her nerves and launched forward. Before her fist was buried into an assailant’s face, Sakura was halted and rejected by a wall of screaming heat emanating from a barrier of brilliant titian flame.
The warmth of the fire whipped the cold of night from the court and when she turned to source the flame, a new flame, a kindle of hope warmed her own heart. There standing behind her, clad is a cloak seemingly sewn from the night itself was Kagutsuchi, his face hidden behind a whole faced, lustrous samurai mask. Leaf City’s legend was here to save her and quell this disturbance. Sakura had always idolized Kagutsuchi and his partner Indra especially after they rescued her and her classmates from a rampaging villain two years ago and the thought of not only meeting Kagutsuchi but of teaming up with him elated the kunoichi. Now was the time to act!
“What is this?” Sasuke thought as his eyes fell on the scene before him. Upon his arrival to the scene, where he tracked the explosion, Sasuke was puzzled at the sight of a lone girl taking on an army of mercenaries. In the gloomy court, pierced only by the single working light and the shower of silver moonlight Sasuke was uncharacteristically intrigued by the figure in front of him. The young woman who stood before him was clad in a sleeveless blood red qipao dress descending until her upper thighs, every section gripping to her lithe frame. A lone white circle was emblazoned at the centre of her back while black gloves wrapped her hands and wrists and grey elbow and knee protectors covered her. She possessed bright pink hair, now salmon in the wake of Sasuke’s now dying flames along with creamy, porcelain skin, free from flaw, now kissed by the moonlight. Her milky skin was held beads of perspiration which were racing downwards upon it. Her face was delicate, framed by the bangs of her short fuchsia strands with a violet rhombus adorning her forehead’s centre. The woman before him was not ordinary. She was beautiful in the simplest way unlike those models dominating the billboards Sasuke often ignored as he traversed across the rooftops of Leaf City. Perhaps most enthralling were her eyes, eyes a rich light green which to Sasuke, reflected perhaps her naivety, her innocence but also her strength. Those were not the eyes of someone who was hurt by this world Sasuke concluded yet those eyes also cast strength, strength of compassion and strength of will. This girl was not ordinary at all.
Sasuke though was disappointed. Why must this girl get in his way? Why can’t he be left alone to fight? Teams don’t work, unless the team consisted of Itachi and himself and even then… Truly, Sasuke believed no one his equal now that Itachi was gone and he trusted no one on the field besides himself. After all, who could ever be as capable, as adept, as potent? That was the reason. It was the reason he worked alone, he worked in silence, the reason he rejected every offer to partner up, like from that insufferable blond idiot, and his damn waterfalls and whirpools, that wannabe hero, Kurama. Was it really the reason though?
Sasuke was here, he was here now trapped in peril and hazard with an unknown hero who to him. She would no doubt be as good as a bystander he kept telling himself as the last of his awe of the creature in his presence petered out. Peeved at his luck, or rather his misfortune, the hero pressed on. “You, stay back and stay out of my way. I’ll take out the trash over here,” he sneered as he pointed at the recovering troops before him with a sharp nod. As his words echoed on the now silent battlefield a grand flare of intense power and heat erupted among the enemies’ ranks and Anbu scattered, some in fear and others in pain. A new battle had commenced.
“Um sorry but you can’t handle these guys alone,” Sakura asserted firmly. “I’m not going anywhere and if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were looking down on me,” she added with a sly smile painted across her face. “Do you think I’m just some weak woman who can’t keep up with you? I’m a hero of Leaf City just as you are.” With that remark she uprooted one of the ash colored basketball poles, space now freed around her from Kagatsuchi’s assault, and swung it, spraying Anbu in all directions several yards away. Almost immediately following this the kunoichi hefted the pole and sent it barreling into a crowd of Anbu as casually as one would launch a javelin.
The nerve of this guy. How could he treat her as a damsel in distress? After years of honing her blessing and training with her father in their native Japanese styles: karate, shorinji kenpo and aikido Sakura was a hero. She was not dead weight and the thought of being treated as such and treated as another pretty damsel infuriated her. She looked up to Kagutsuchi and was still indebted to him and his partner Indra for saving her parents during a robbery three years prior but she was not a naive follower and even Kagutsuchi could only get away with so much. Despite her new born anger Sakura chose to remain calm and match his attitude with her own calm, her own unique ‘fire’. And well, despite all this exasperation Sakura did think that Kagutsuchi was kind of sexy. That assertive and incontestable voice was kind of alluring. It made her want to see the face under that mask even more than she did as a citizen.She wanted to see if his face matched his voice. Haruno wasn’t looking for a boyfriend but she never hesitated to…window shop. After all she was only a twenty four year old single woman. Is it weird that she thought the mask was hot too?
Sasuke was awestruck. Not by her display which he admitted to himself was remarkable, but at her attitude. This girl was fearless, determined and seemed to possess a courage and confidence to rival any man’s, any hero’s. Somehow this served to further annoy him, further dishevel him and unnerve him. This was a novel experience for the hero but regardless he firmed his resolve and continued. If this heroine wanted to try to help him, so be it. He knew that his main goal was ending this fight with the Anbu. So he pressed on.
“Inferno espada!” Sasuke screamed as two lines of fire sped across the court, grating the thick black asphalt as they hurried into the army of men. Despite his exhaustion from suffocating that building fire earlier in the evening and helping Haruno later on, the hero retained more than enough stamina to do this much. Through his mask, crimson irises burned as his heat claimed the court. Apart from a bullet streaking past his steel mask, nearly grazing his face, Sasuke was untouched. At that instant Haruno also resumed her onslaught and, with outstanding agility, dived into the crowd of soldiers, her limbs flailing among her targets. Every hit was precise, every action planned. Sakura wasted no movement and expertly utilized every ounce of her strength, sending bodies crashing either into the murky, rough asphalt or the rigid, mauve cherry wood stands which framed the court. Two heroes proved to be better than one as even the backup soldiers fell and buried themselves into submission against Kagutsuchi and Haruno’s combined assault. Close to fifteen minutes after Sasuke’s arrival, silence returned to the court as the Anbu lay on the floor. Still, a sick glimmer of foreboding persisted in Sasuke’s heart and in his mind. The same feeling he pushed out of his mind earlier still radiated power in his thoughts. Something, he knew, was amiss.
“See? Wasn’t it better working with someone? Neither of us would have been able to take out that many Anbu on our own,” Sakura boasted as she steadied her breath and wiped the sweat off her brow. Now face to face… well mask, she continued. “You were great, Kagutsuchi. As expected of Leaf City’s finest hero. I’m Sa… Haruno. I’m Haruno by the way and well… as you can see I was blessed with super strength.” Despite the man’s ego and rudeness Sakura was still grateful to him and of course honored to work with him, even if it was strictly due to circumstance. This would serve as invaluable experience for the heroine. Now that the villains were down Sakura was ready to tie them up (she preferred this over drugging them to sleep since, even as a medical student, she could only ‘borrow’ so much from Tsunade General). On the contrary, fate had something else in mind. Before she could register Kagutsuchi’s response (she thought it sounded like ‘Hmm’ whatever that means), an explosion boomed into the silence of the night and catapulted both heroes into the restroom’s red brick wall, beyond the court itself. One enemy remained, or is it that the real enemy arrived?
The last thing Sasuke remembered before he impacted the solid brick wall was that cute hero girl blabbing on about how successful they were together and how great he was, which he agreed was a factual conclusion. He wasn’t really annoyed by her though, despite him telling himself that she was annoying. In fact he remembered somewhat relishing being there with his heroine. This was perhaps a new mystery he needed to address. Who is she and what is going on? In addition, Sasuke recalled nodding and ‘hmm-ing’ dismissively, as was his style, before his body and mind were bombarded with what felt like a canon being fired into his torso. His mask was now off, crumbled at his feet. The bullet barely touching it must have loosened the strap only to have it crushed by the red brick shards now nesting one the asphalt. Sasuke, however, had no time to worry about a secret identity. Despite the harrowing pain lancing in his abdomen he concluded that he would live. Thankfully, his technique, the black ice flame’s, pyre smothered on his back and front braced his frame from the solid bricks and intense force at his anterior. As he peered over to where Haruno had been fired, he was amazed to see that the cherry blossom haired ninja was untouched and was already stepping out of a crater in the brick wall. Did her super strength grant her invulnerability too? He did not know. Regardless, now both heroes glanced at their front facing the villain currently simpering in their direction.
Uncharacteristic fear and gloom washed over Sasuke. The visage of the ominous figure before him totally shook his being. This man had died, of that he was certain. Itachi had died taking him down with his brother. That duo had to be dead. If that was untrue then Itachi died, Itachi sacrificed for nothing. Sasuke would not accept it. The reason for his pain, the man who faced off against Indra and Kagutsuchi two years ago and who had perished alongside Indra and his own brother, his accomplice, was here. Kabuto was here standing firm, domineering and wearing a sneer of utter amusement that Sasuke had to remove. The figure before him remained unchanged from their last encounter. Kabuto’s slim build was drenched in bone-white scales and his dark yellow eyes bore slits in the pupils like those of a snake’s. His short short ash grey hair gently danced in the cold night wind which failed to affect the villain as he only wore long black pants that just passed his knee caps. Something was different though, his eyes seemed to be more hateful, more menacing than Sasuke remembered and his aura exuded darkness and power. Kabuto had evolved from their last encounter, ascending from a snake to a great dragon.
Okay now she was really pissed off. Dealing with those Anbu was one thing but now some sonic wave burying her into a solid brick wall? This topped Sakura’s list of worst missions ever and now she wanted nothing more than to sink her high heeled sandals into that snake freak’s neck. Not only did this villain creep her out but he had a face and a sneer that Sakura made Sakura’s blood boil. It took all her anger management techniques to extinguish the reckless fury that swirled within her. Kagutsuchi was okay thank God.
Kagutsuchi… As she examined the hero Sakura was stunned as what reflected in her eyes. Kagutsuchi, no Sasuke Uchiha was standing beside her. “What the hell?!” she exclaimed but none of the men seemed to pay that utterance any mind. “Kagutsuchi is Sasuke?!” Well it really wasn’t that surprising Sakura thought. Only a billionaire would have the funds and flexible schedule to rise to the level of heroism Kagutsuchi had reached and as far as she knew Sasuke’s strategic mind had put his company on top. He was a hero to the city even in his civilian form. Yet the thought of the great Kagutsuchi’s identity being revealed to be Sasuke Uchiha, that handsome, mysterious elite of Leaf City, well that still somewhat overwhelmed Sakura.
Now that she caught a closer glimpse Sakura noted to herself that the man before her was even more handsome than on tv. Sasuke sported spiky black hair with a slight tint of blue mixed among the strands as his locks, now freed from the restriction of the mask, hung over his face as bangs. His face was pale and it was characterised by delicate features. On the other hand, it also portrayed strength or character, a level of class and of maturity. His more noticeable trait however, were his eyes. Now that his powers were inactive Sakura was able to see their true color. His eyes were black, like a starless night and exuded authority; commanded attention. Sakura felt as thought she could be lost in those eyes, as if she would be totally engulfed. His gaze was no doubt powerful but as she examined the man before her she looked underneath it all. What his gaze truly let on was pain. His eyes held pain within, they gave off a feeling of loneliness and of strength married with struggle. He was indeed a handsome man and Sakura thought to herself that his assertive tone in tandem with his dark cloaked ensemble served to heighten his allure. He was different from all the other men in this city, in her life. Sakura empathised with those eyes. What could hurt him to such an extent? Did this enemy play a part in it all? She knew not the answers to her musings. worry flooded her thoughts. Something was awry. Something was off. This villain seemed to bother him. No, bother was too light a word. Sakura saw It seems that these two men knew one another and from the looks of it this man enraged Sasuke and more importantly, traumatized him.
Using the might and fury steadily bubbled up within him upon laying eyes on his adversary, Sasuke dashed off, his katana in hand, bathed in the flames for his target. As was the case for all Uchiha, Sasuke was initiated in numerous styles of kenjutsu; esteemed Japanese styles of swordsmanship and now with the red-yellow flames imbued into the fine Japanese steel of his blade, Kagutsuchi was hell bent on unleashing these styles on the monster before him. His vow as a hero to never kill was now forgotten. The man who caused Itachi’s death must be killed. Nevertheless, this blade was never meant to meet the target as, just a metre or so before contact was made, the ground below the men erupted with an opaque bone white pillar blooming from below. Flames splattered chaotically as the blade rebounded off from the barrier that protected the man, sending Sasuke back, staggering as he struggled to steady his footing. His attack was nullified and he hurled straight into the arms of Haruno, who by this time, was properly positioned to catch the hero from behind.
Despite his panic Sasuke was momentarily calmed as he entered Haruno’s arms. She just clung to him to support him and cushion his fall but to Sasuke, who only knew loneliness and who was already intimidated by the beast in front of him, her caress, if only temporarily, set him at ease. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could have felt Sakura’s arms tighten and her warmth pressed against him as if she found comfort herself while holding him in the face of danger. It was as if her embrace devoured the darkness of fear that slithered around in his heart. Indeed there was a mutual attraction present between the heroes. Alas, this was a fleeting sensation quickly dissipated by the urgency of their predicament. Overwhelmed by shock, disappointment and the passion sparked from outrage, Sasuke looked on at the emerging behemoth that entered the conflict. Sasuke and even Sakura soon took stock of the situation, nerves on edge and their minds briskly at work. Something had to be done.
Emerging from behind the villain was a serpentine creature of massive proportions, tall enough to wrap around the complex Sasuke had recently saved, gnarling at the heroes facing its master. The beast wore a complexion of alabaster stained on its large scales and possessed darker rings of gray that ran down the intervals of its body. Massive fangs greeted those in its sight like that of a constrictor snake with moss green eyes nestled into its ghastly face, eyes that yearned for slaughter, eyes that seemed to call for blood. The dragon in their wake also notably wore four horn-like protrusions on its crown and let out a cry so terrible, so awesome that the heroes both quivered slightly in its presence.
Sakura hated to admitted it but she was comforted by Sasuke cradled in her arms. It wasn’t out of lust or even romance, but due to her need for intimacy and support in the face of these monsters. For the first time in her short period as a hero, she was scared. She felt the same fear course through Sasuke’s body as he readied himself for another attempt on the villains. “Sasuke we need a plan,” she softly informed the Uchiha. “That snake might even be stronger than me and that sonic wave from that small guy is no joke.” “Kabuto,” he bitterly responded. “That monster’s name is Kabuto and he is no joke. Indra and I together barely managed to beat him and his brother who was blessed with the power to become a giant.. a giant as big as that snake!” Sakura’s heart sank. If this guy was strong enough to handle Indra and Sasuke he was the real deal and, despite her confidence, she was logical and grounded enough to know the trouble she was in. She could very well breathe her last tonight and this thought near destroyed her nerves. “Well actually he is the snake.” Kabuto hissed. “Don’t you recognize him Sasuke? Don’t you recognize the man you tried to kill? My brother.. Manda!”
Sasuke could not fathom anything after those words parted with Kabuto’s lips. The courageous hero, Kagutsuchi was as good as dead with all his bravery replaced by appall, disdain and fear. It was apparent what had happened. It was all clear now; Kabuto had somehow changed his brother after that fight. Sasuke didn’t need any explanation yet he couldn’t refrain from responding, “Kabuto, what the hell did you do to him? What did you do to your brother?!” Sasuke angrily exclaimed, his rage at its zenith.
“Ha ha ha” the demon cackled. “Well after your dear brother electrocuted Manda and buried us both under tonnes of rubble we barely escaped with out lives, unlike Indra if I may be so bold to add so I had to share my DNA, my blessing with him and viola!” he boasted as he spread his arms brandishing the serpent at his side which now gentle encircled its master…. its brother. “It wasn’t all that hard for a genius as myself…” Kabuto snickered, “Of course he lost his human brain and senses and well he needs blood every few months to survive, the blood of blessed ones like ourselves being especially beneficial. But at least he’s not dead.. like certain other people.” He winked at the now seething hero. “Oh shoot.” he went on, clearly reveling in talking about himself. “ I guess I just should come clean at this point shouldn’t I? Yeah I kidnapped those teens and I was supposed to get some more today but this pink haired bitch sent those kids back before my men could round them up. Did you know that teen were curious about joining self help groups and were easily made to take drugs?” He then whistled and let out another unnatural laugh. “Who would’ve thought! ”
Sasuke could feel the bile welling up, ready to leap out up from his gut. It all pieced together now. These suburban teens in his area were easily bored and misled and Kabuto cleverly drugged them to forget. After all he needed them to live on to be taken again. Sasuke was disgusted. He who had treasured his brother and loved him like no other couldn’t bear to see this. Sasuke’s heart was immersed in rage and his mind trapped in a storm of blood lust and hate. He had never experienced the darkness of such passion and for some reason he wanted to accept it. Sasuke wanted to use it, to use it to fight and to use it for power. Now more than ever he gauged how imperative his victory was. Sasuke needed to beat Kabuto and save Manda. As he peered to his side where Sakura now stood, shaking with what seemed to be a combination of pity and the passion that came with immense fury, their eyes met and he knew that she felt the same. A wordless understanding passed between the two, carried by their eyes. Sasuke had never experienced such a thing and as they steeled their resolve the two readied themselves to engage these enemies.
“Haruno, you take the giant snake. I’ll deal with Kabuto” Sasuke disclosed as he prepared his first attack.“Your strength should fare better against it than my flames did.” Sakura knew what she had to do. Sadness drowned her heart but she felt an opulent sense of surety and duty birthed from her compassion for the creature. Kabuto had to pay and Manda… poor Manda. There was nothing she could do for the poor creature. Such an abomination, an act of sacrilege against humanity. This especially distressed her as she was a doctor in training and couldn’t understand how a man of science could do such a thing. This is not how you help people! Sakura felt personally insulted and hurt by what she saw here tonight and channeled her outrage into her power and into her will. Indeed, Sakura knew what must be done. In order to grant eternal salvation to this poor creature Haruno and Kagatusuchi had to put him down. Manda, though a criminal, deserved at least that. This maniac must be stopped and she needed to subdue the snake to do it.
“Right!” she responded as she charged forward moments after wiping the single tear from her eye, the only expression of sadness she could afford in this situation. Despite her sensitivity and how emotionally charged Sakura was, this was neither the time nor the place to break down. She could always do so later. This was how a hero had to live. This was the way a hero’s life, her life, the life and had embraced. “Shannaro!” she hollered, in a display of her marvelous superhuman strength. When her charged fists met the hide of the dragon, it was if thunder was rupturing the fragile heavens. Manda’s thick elongated head lurched backwards, the beast flying several yards behind crashing into the stands at the mercy of Sakura’s gut punch. Her victory was short live though, as it seemed the serpent was barely phased by her onslaught. For the first time in her life, Sakura felt weak. Regardless, she glared back at the recovered monster beyond her, ready to fight as the fearsome dragon gazed upon her, a predator ready for its prey. The scene could have been extracted from Grecian myth, the tension, danger and implausibility of the conflict- a hero battling a massive leviathan. All she could do was press on and continue her assault.
The boom of Haruno’s blows against the serpent’s harsh iron hide resounded throughout the court, echoing into the previously still, cool night. What was once a sleeping court was now set ablaze with the heat of combat and the clash of these four super humans. Sasuke noticed that Sakura was holding her own, evading the snake’s massive swinging tail and through her incredible power, sending the snake flying back with jarring blows. She really was something else. The heroine presently fared better than Sasuke who, despite calling forth his most violent flames and performing his most practiced techniques, could not get past Kabuto’s blessing, or rather, his curse. As scorching pyres tore through the atmosphere Kabuto’s state remained unchanged. In the face of Kagutsuchi’s fire, Kabuto seemingly dislocated his jaws, clasped his hands in some form of concentration as he locked his eyes and let out a fierce wail. Summoned from his maw was a cruel, robust sonic wave which easily blew back Sasuke’s fire and even Sasuke himself, taking the form of a stream modeled after a pale white oriental dragon. Kabuto’s blessing improved astronomically since they last fought, his tiny sonic boom now a potent, ear bleeding explosion in the wind. Sasuke’s was barely able to survive and depended on the force of his own fire, dying by Kabuto’s blast to mitigate the damage. Exhausted, powerless and rattled, Sasuke saw no way out. Letting out a sea of wildfire he made one last stand.
“Pathetic!” Kabuto mocked as he let out another bellow of power, breaking Sasuke’s wave of flame. “I guess living in a mansion, having everything you ever wanted really hampers training and actually growing your blessing huh? Ha ha!” His disgusting laugh poisoned the air irritating Sasuke even more who was now knelt on the asphalt trying to get his legs to support his body. What could he do? Fire was ineffective and without a means by which to close the distance between them, Sasuke knew that he couldn’t even attempt to cut Kabuto with his katana. There was no telling if swords would even be enough to beat Kabuto since even he had tough scales hugging his frame, though probably not as solid as Manda’s. At best, Sasuke might manage rest a shallow cut on him before he beats him back and sends him flying. Meanwhile Kabuto could easily close his eyes and fire another massive wave of sonic energy send Sasuke ever further back. That’s it! Why didn’t it dawn on Sasuke before? Every time Kabuto attacked he first had to close his eyes and extend his jaw to accommodate his screech! In the slit second that his eyes were closed and his attack under way Kabuto was vulnerable. Also judging from his long ranged style, Sasuke reckoned that Kabuto’s scales really were not as hard as Manda’s and while his fire and swords still might not do the trick, perhaps another type of physical attack would. Unfortunately, before Sasuke would even finish his scheming his thoughts were halted by a piercing shriek. Gazing at source of the scream Sasuke was startled at what he saw. Haruno lay stiff on the ground, dead.
Panic washed over him. How could this happen? “Haruno!” he begged, his voice burdened with desperation and fear. Alas the limp frame a few meters north east of him gave no response. Haruno rested face down on the asphalt, with no movement crossing her body. No doubt Manda had managed to overpower her in the end. Manda who was now moving closer to his master, readying a combined strike against the lone hero. Sasuke raced towards the fallen heroine and stayed, eyes fixed on the adversaries before him. “Sun storm!” he proclaimed as swirls of near golden flames split the battlefield. He had poured every ounce of his concentration in this attack in a last ditch attempt to keep those creatures at bay while he would try to save the girl. He knew it was only a matter of seconds before Manda swept his robust tail to part the sea of flames but he had to get to her. As expected, this too failed and on nearing Haruno, he saw the flames whipped away making way for Manda’s strike. The beast lunged at Sasuke in a swift strike, it’s silver crown glittering in the cold, pale moonlight. In the meantime Kabuto’s jaws opened and his eyes sealed in a familiar manner as he himself readied his attack. It was here that Sasuke realized that he was doomed. He had neither the power nor the time to react to the serpent’s dive. He looked at Haruno’s body, now resigned to the fact that he would join her and then stared down his opponents, his arrogant gaze decorating his face in his last moments. He was an Uchiha and would go out with his pride.
“Shannaro!” blared Sakura, her right fist sinking Manda’s throat. The snake was sent barreling into Kabuto just as the man was sending out his sonic wave. The result: a massive white explosion of compressed air pressure blooming into the court like a cherry blossom in the warmth of spring. In the last minute before Manda reached Sasuke, Sakura briskly revived and jumped into action and she was able to save him. Both man and snake were stunned, if only for a few minutes. Sakura, now perfectly upright and standing firm, turned and extended her hand to the bewildered cloaked man behind her, pulling Sasuke up from his kneel.
“You played possum, Haruno?” Sasuke inquired, his voice still lighting with panic. “Well somewhat” she giggled in response. “You see my ‘Strength of One Hundred’ blessing not only gives grants me super human strength but also super human healing…” she continued,”…and a natural resistance to injury and illness beyond that of normal people. Of course my resistance didn’t do much against that thing” her eyes pointed towards the leviathan buried in the asphalt on that last word. “It’s not as simple as it seems. Manda really did catch me off guard and I hate to admit it but he landed a critical blow on me. If it weren’t for my healing, I’d be dead for sure. But I still played dead even after I healed myself just to catch those cocky bastards unguarded. I knew they’d target you so I sat and waited to make my move. But Kagutsuchi, we have to end this now, for both our sake.” “Hmm. I’m glad you are okay, Haruno” Sasuke replied. He was impressed by what he witnessed, a heroine with an amazing blessing and the training and intellect to use it… and perhaps more importantly he was happy that his new partner was okay. Partner… He didn’t even realise that he was considering her his partner now. Today was really full of surprises. Wrapped in all of this he didn’t even notice how his comment reddened the heroine’s complexion and averted her eyes. “Oh and Sasuke, if I can call you that…” Sakura swiftly conditioned herself and went back to being a serious heroine, “ I when I fought him that Manda has a minute crease in the folds of his neck unprotected by those scales. I can’t get them but when he moves his head to attack I believe your flaming sword might.”
A new source of awe and excitement now dwell within him. This girl really was a hero. She was every bit as formidable in combat as he was and her analytical ability rivaled, maybe even superseded, his own. She wasn’t unlike Itachi he thought. This Haruno girl was extremely intelligent, exercised delicate control of her blessing and held a strategic and analytical mind. Also, he felt like Haruno worked well with him, which is something he never expected since his brother’s passing. This was truly a profound and new experience but the enemy before them took precedence. His introspection would have to wait until calmer times. “Okay good. Then let’s switch enemies.” Sasuke suggested. “ I myself noticed that Kabuto’s blast is linear and he needs to close his eyes to fire it off..” “And you’re saying in those few seconds I might be able to close the distance with my strength and knock him out?” Sakura interrupted, completing his thoughts. Amazed yet again, and slightly peeved Sasuke smirked and went on “ Yeah something like that.” It was strange how well they read one another so well. With that the heroes faced down the now recovering monsters in their wake and bounded across paths to meet their respective new foes.
“Aww did the lovebirds decide to switch?” Kabuto hissed. Sakura really hated his guy. Even his voice and his manner of speech made her sick. Maybe that’s why it was appropriate for her to defeat him. That thought swirled in her mind for a brief moment. One thing was for sure though, regardless of how irritating he was, he was an evil man, a powerful man and in order to make him pay for his crimes against humanity and his misuse of the medical arts, Sakura would have to focus all of her attention and might on the this fight. Easier said than done though, since, unbeknownst to Sasuke, fighting all night, especially fighting Manda and then invoking her ‘Strength of One Hundred’ healing had left Sakura thoroughly exhausted. This had to be done and it had to be done as quickly as possible. “Shut up and fight, idiot.” she snickered back. “Or are you afraid to hit a cute girl like me.” The fight commenced.
Just as anticipated, Kabuto initiated with a large sonic wave, his eyes closed and palms clasped together. Sakura met this with a sonic wave of her own. By punching the air her abnormal strength formed a pulse of wind and sound that thundered towards his. Alas, Kabuto was the victor. For a moment the waves met and the intense air pressure caused ripples of power into the night but as Sakura’s punch petered out, Kabuto’s stream lasered on and pieced through. Sakura anticipating this and managed to imbue tiny ounce of strength into her feet and kick off with a burst of speed out of harm’s way. This solved nothing though, as Kabuto was unaffected and still posed a threat. How could he have so much stamina to fire those things all the time? He must have trained a lot to reach this far. Eyes targeted on Kabuto, Sakura tried again.
Was this snake totally flame proof? It’s been five minutes since him and Haruno switched opponents and none of his flames have done anything to the monster. The leviathan’s solid hide of steel like scales made it impossible for Sasuke to coax him into the required position. He knew hide was tough but Sasuke still thought that with some power behind his flames he would be able to bend the snake to reveal its weakness. Haruno was able to do it with her strength but lacked the power to get into the crease. Conversely it seemed that the opposite was true for Sasuke. He could cut into the beast with his katana but getting the monster to bend in the right way was proving an arduous and impossible task. On top of that he didn’t have the stamina needed to keep this up for much longer. This conflict needed to be extinguished.
Manda whipped his tail sending boulders of asphalt hurling towards Sasuke, who barely managed to slap them with his flames. Manda was the toughest opponent Sasuke had ever faced and the only reason they managed to beat those brothers two years prior was because of Itachi’s plan. Sasuke drenched them by activating the sprinkler system, left the warehouse and allowed Itachi to let his “Susanoo” lightning blessing run wild. No one anticipated that Kabuto had a gun and that Manda would inadvertently knock down the beams supporting the large complex. Self hatred still forced its way into Sasuke’s hear. If he had only stayed with Itachi…. However that was then, now Manda had powerful scales and neither Sasuke nor Haruno had dominion over lightning or water. Sasuke almost hoped that usuratonkachi, Kurama was here… almost. As Manda glared at Sasuke as a snake glares at its prey, a new revelation, a new idea was born. “The eyes! Why didn’t I think about that before?” Sasuke scolded himself then attacked. “Great Fireball Jutsu!” Like a dragon from medieval times Sasuke belched out seven shining balls of heat and flame, his favourite technique. Like shooting stars across the sky, these projectiles cleaved through the night air and engulfed Manda and everything around him.
The flames surrounded him, distracting from what was to come. As explosions of sprung up around Manda, Sasuke let out a final fireball which he detonated before it made contact. Manda was now blinded. In a daze the serpent jerked its massive form, dancing about the asphalt of the court trying to gather its senses. Sasuke noticed Kabuto peeping into their battle only to be too distracted by Sakura hurling boulders his way to make any sort of attempt to move in. The predator was now the one being hunted and now was the time to act. Sasuke waited and while Manda squirmed he targeted the now bare slit of exposed flesh upon the snake’s neck, where his body met his cranium. Sasuke, using every drop of his concentration funneled his flames into his blade and set it ablaze with power. Titian and gold flames danced upon the blade, warming the cold Japanese steel in Sasuke’s hands. With a resounding battle cry the young Uchiha charged onward.
Sasuke had never felt this passionate before, this alive. Thoughts, not only of avenging Itachi, but of delivering justice, saving Manda’s soul and also of protecting Haruno all fueled him and it was then that the transformation occurred. Born from Sasuke’s determination and emotions, the fire of his sword was dyed black.Just like Itachi’s black lightning. Sasuke finally attained the pinnacle of an elemental blessing, a blackened fire. For years Sasuke had heard legends of special Uchiha with elemental blessings surpassing their limits and obtaining the ‘God power’ and he was fortunate enough to see Itachi do the same but now it was different, now Sasuke had reached the level of his brother and he has shown that he can carry on his family name and the legacy of its heroes onward with excellence. It was if all the hate and anger had left his soul, all the pain of Itachi’s demise and the murky fog of solitude, everything left and was absorbed by his fire. Flames that seemed to be weaved from the darkness of the night sky now armored the katana and upon contact erupted against the skin of the animal. Onyx flames and embers showered the battlefield like ink staining paper and Manda’s terrible shriek reverberated in the night. Manda trashed about in pain and finally calmed when all his life had drained and he lay dead, his body resting in the trench of its impact.
Sasuke broke his vow to never kill but he knew that taking on the burden of this sin was worth it. Sasuke and Haruno both knew that Manda was no longer human and could not be saved. For his own peace and for his own well being he had to be put down. Yet, even knowing this, Sasuke still shivered after finishing his assault, guilt infecting his mind and his soul. This is what it meant to be a hero. This is what saving the city would take. Sasuke knew this now. He wouldn’t always be able to adeptly beat any villain. In cases such as this Sasuke had to be the judge, jury and executioner. It was a dark truth never spoken of in this profession but just as the case of a hostage situation where the culprit would kill a child if not killed himself, Manda was held hostage by his brother’s experiments and Sasuke knew that for the greater good he had to kill. It was for the greater good. Sasuke’s own bad karma was inconsequential. Plagued still by guilt and shock about what had transpired, Sasuke collapsed, kneeling on the asphalt, exhausted. He could not aid Haruno in any way right now.
Ever since that first burst of energy Sakura has been hurling projectiles: benches, poles, boulders, even trashcans and Kabuto has made quick work of everything. Her own sonic waves still made no dent in his own and even striking the ground, her signature ‘Cherry Blossom Impact’, couldn’t hold up when he bellowed back. Of course the heroine Haruno knew this would happen. “You’re weak Haruno.” Kabuto was now mocking her. He knew he had her cornered and he could tell she was almost out of energy and vitality. “Even Sasuke and Itachi couldn’t stop me. What do you think you can do? You’re a rookie and a weak woman.” He then unleashed another wave of energy. “Shannaro!” she howled as she punched the ground one more time to delay the strike, stealthily evading soon after. “A woman. Yes. Weak? Never.” With that she eyed her opponent and attempted to set her plan in motion.
“Manda! Mandaaa!” Kabuto’s shriek echoed through the entire court and even the surrounding field. Before Sakura would even make a move, her fight was halted. Sasuke had just defeated Manda and, as she knew he would, freed his soul by putting him down. Manda lay dead, his corpse erupting in an onyx pyre. Sakura, being the compassionate woman that she was, couldn’t help but agonize over this even in the heat of battle. Not only Manda, but Sasuke had to live through this. He had to kill… and Kabuto? The usually arrogant and calculative ‘genius’ was whipped into a frenzy. He spewed venom in his cussing and he trashed about, balling up his fists. “Sasuke I will kill you!” With that he set his sights on the wounded hero. It was as if he forgot that Haruno existed. Sakura rushed, empowering her feat with her strength to meet the villain as he readied his attack. It was for naught though as he quickly regained his composure, no doubt realizing that he had to deal with her first. “I’ll kill you first…” he uttered. “Then I’ll torture that murderer.” Sakura now a few meters away braced herself for that attack that would come. As usual Kabuto faced her and let out his roar, eyes closed and hands clasped. This was his mistake.
All the while fighting him Haruno realized that, not only did he close his eyes to accommodate his power, but that once he commenced his roar he had not the strength to move his head in any other direction, especially not up. The wave now shooting towards Haruno, the kunoichi answered once more with her ‘Cherry Blossom Impact’ focusing all of her body’s outrageous strength into her heel in an awesome display of unarmed combat. Her heel swung downward as if a meteor had bombarded the court and she propelled herself into the sky. Kabuto’s blast met the impact of her attack head on but that was of no consequence to Sakura. Now, gracefully moving through the air she set her sights on Kabuto. Carefully, dialing down her strength, Sakura descended upon Kabuto, her balled fist sinking into his cranium. A loud smack is all that was heard as the man lay defeated on the floor.
Sakura was victorious. They both were. Kabuto was unconscious slumped down and Manda’s soul was free at last. Sakura hurriedly rushed to Sasuke’s side, the hero now trying to stand up in his corner. Sasuke had never seen such a display. Haruno was amazing. He was strangely proud of her and of course glad that she was the victor. He couldn’t lose anyone else to this life, anyone else dear to him. Dear to him… Sasuke pondered these thoughts. He didn’t know her well and obviously couldn’t love someone he just met but he understood what he felt. Attraction, yes it was there but something else. Through partnering up tonight they had forged something special that went beyond attraction. A bond of camaraderie had been formed between them. Sasuke wanted to be around her more, to protect her and even to have her protect him. Maybe he was… “Frrk!” the explosion came, deafening in its jubilation. Sasuke was shot.
“Sasuke!” Sakura could not believe what had transpired. As she made her way to Sasuke, grinning in the wake of their resounding victory, the worst had happened. Where the hell did that gun come from? I knocked him out! “Oh my God! Sasuke!” her panic and fear radiated throughout the court. Kabuto was in a daze, his eyes glossed over as if he were barely conscious. The man was fueled solely by hate and blood lust and in a blaze of hate and anger, he managed a last ditch attack. Just like a serpent Kabuto birthed from him gut, a concealed silver revolver and fired it in Sasuke’s direction, piercing his chest. With that Kabuto sank right back down into the ground as if he could only rest if Sasuke died. Sakura could barely form thoughts upon witnessing this but as a hero and a doctor her body moved on it’s own. Sakura tossed a boulder remaining from her attack on top of Kabuto’s body, trapping him even though he was unconscious this time. Sakura could take no chances and if they both got shot there would be no one to help Sasuke. She then proceeded to treat Sasuke.
Sasuke rested in a bed of crimson blood, almost looking at peace. He groaned softly, his eyes barely shut. Sakura held him in her arms, and stripped off his cloak and shirt. The bullet had penetrated his chest, nearly missing his heart. Regardless he was not in good shape at all. Sakura knew that there was nothing she could do as a doctor for him. There was nothing any doctor could do at this point that could guarantee his survival. He might not even last the trip in the ambulance and even then his chances were slim. Indeed there was nothing she could do as a doctor but as a hero…
Summoning the last bit of her power, Sakura unleashed her final trump card. As the kunoichi discarded her right glove, a light green flame illuminated her hand. It was as if a bright green star had landed and settled in the court that night, chasing away the darkness to the corners of the court. The jewel like amethyst rhombus upon her forehead spread out, delicately weaving around her limbs. ‘Strength of One Hundred Healings’ as Sakura called it was her mos coveted ability. Through sharing her power with another, Sakura’s impressive healing abilities could transfer into the patient and restore them to an unaffected state. Sakura first realized that she held this power when her best friend, Chanel was hit by a truck when they rode their bikes in the streets. She had saved the young girl’s life and till this date Chanel was the only one she trusted with her secret. With Sasuke nestled in her left arm she lay her right hand, now ablaze with healing power, gently caressed his wound.
After a few seconds, the bullet surfaced, popping out of the wound and clunking on the asphalt, leaving behind a closing would. But is it enough?! I can’t keep this up much longer and he’s still terribly hurt. Doubt swept across her mind as Sakura struggled to keep her power activated. Signs of fatigue from tonight’s clash began to seriously take a toll on her body. All of her strength, her vitality and her stamina were nearly gone. No. Sakura still had power. She had a little more. She had enough. If she didn’t she’d just make her body make more. Such was her resolve. “I’ve… I’ve got to give it everything I got!” she breathed to herself then with a final burst of power bellowed, “Shannaro!”
Am I dead? The last thing Sasuke remembered was Haruno in all her glory taking out Kabuto and smiling at him. That smile…Haruno looked amazing when she smiled and Sasuke remembered cracking a smile and a standard ‘hmm’ back before the sharp pain bloomed in his chest. The hero remembered feeling the warm blood in his hands and wafts of iron, the scent of blood perfuming the air but anything beyond that and Haruno’s frantic screaming was unknown to Sasuke. Hmm. For some strange reason Sasuke was resigned to his fate. All he could see was darkness, it’s icy touch chilling his being. He already lived a good life and honestly, he felt tired. His parents died years ago and then after Itachi had passed, he was totally alone. The trials of heroism battered against his mind, body and soul daily and even with all his money and all the opportunities for companionship available, he really couldn’t care to live or to die. Whatever happened next was inconsequential to him, he thought. “Well of course you think that. You were always a little kid at heart.” a powerful voice echoed in the darkness.
“Itachi?!” Sasuke’s yell overtook the dark chasm. “Where are you, brother?!” Itachi was nowhere to be seen but he could be heard laughing in the background. “Is this a dream or is this really you, brother?” “Ha… maybe it is…” “Sasuke, I am not going to meet you any time soon…” his tone grew serious. “I can never walk this earth and as much as you think you need to meet me… meet us, it is not your time.” These words pounded against Sasuke’s mind. He felt that he would go made in this abusive lonely chasm of shadow. “Why Itachi why won’t you show yourself to…” Itachi silenced him. “No. Listen to me. Sasuke I have told you. I am dead. Seeing me, you’d never really accept that I am gone. I am gone and you will never see me outside of memories as long as you live. Understand that Sasuke. Understand that I am where you cannot follow.. yet. Understand that you ought not accept anything as long as you can fight. Do not resign yourself to this. Live Sasuke. Live and allow yourself to indulge in life. Live and protect those in need like our family has always done. Live!” With that Itachi’s voice died. Before Sasuke could even process what happened he was blinded.
Erupting from a single point in the darkness, a star of green light encircled by ribbons of fuchsia pierced through, nearly overpowering Sasuke’s senses. He knew it was her. All around Sasuke, the cold of loneliness was burned away by the brilliant light that now danced about the darkness. Sasuke was warmed, vitality and power surging through him. He felt as if he could fell any villain with just the flick of a finger, as if he was high on some drug, burning through his senses. Ecstasy brushed away all the sad thoughts from him mind. Sasuke felt as though he was witnesses hundreds of sakura trees blooming in profusion, their sweet scent blanketing him and protecting him from the world. Sasuke also felt Sakura’s presence as if she were calling to him with no voice. He realized that Itachi was right. He wasn’t meant to die yet. He was meant to live and fight as a true hero, a true Uchiha would. As Sasuke would. He could not be true to himself if he let himself die here and as realization dawned upon him, he burst forward, floating, heading towards the central point of Sakura’s light. As he touched it’s warmth he felt as though her strong yet gentle hands were pulling him towards safety. A single, brief glance at the waning darkness behind him was all he could manage. “We’ll meet in the true afterlife, ‘The White Land’ some day, brother” Itachi’s voice returned for a fleeting moment. Sasuke could feel a tear well up in his eye and a strange but familiar warmth on his forehead, the place where his brother would affectionately poke him. It was then that Sasuke knew that his brother would never truly leave him. The hero set off, head faced towards Sakura’s rich and vibrant light.
“Haruno, huh?” Sasuke whispered as his eyes creaked open. “Sasuke you’ll be okay now!” Haruno excitedly announced as she wrapped both her arms around the fallen hero. Sasuke didn’t know how to feel. Yeah she was kind of squishing him but it hurt in a good way… he didn’t know what he felt. Sakura’s entire body pressed against his as she hugged him. Her warmth, her fragrance, even the beat of her heart was known to him. Sakura smelt of fresh cherry blossoms thriving in the Japanese springtime and her embrace felt, comfortable, warm… nice. Sasuke felt at home just like he had when he was being healed. He had never really been close to anyone. He only ever hugged his mother, Mikoto and had no interest in any of the woman who shamelessly threw themselves at him in the past. This was different though. After a while though they both realized how awkward it became. “Oh my. I’m sorry” she anxiously apologised, arms waving in the breeze. “I’m just… I’m glad you’re okay Sasuke.” “Hmm” Sasuke didn’t want to tell the girl that she could have stayed a bit longer. “Thank you.” A word of thanks was his only response… that and a slight red blush upon his pallor. Sakura look beat but she was okay and Sasuke was grateful for that.
In the moments that followed, Sasuke contacted the police chief and gave him all the details, before the the squads of police officers would no doubt arrive due to all the rucus caused in the battle. By now Manda’s corpse had almost burned out, black ash like powdered snow dusting the ruined cour. Sakura bent a large pole around Kabuto, and in so doing, sealed his movements. Being the perfectionist that she is, she also injected him with a potent tranquilizer (I guess she had to exhaust some of her supplies after all) and chained his head upwards so he couldn’t harm the cops with his howling. Sasuke was as usual impressed by her foresight but didn’t let it on. “Too bad the court’s ruined,” she finally remarked, after everything was taken care of. “Well I know a billionaire who wouldn’t mind donating a new one” she added, this time winking at Sasuke. A delicate smile passed across his face. “Hmm. I think I know one too.” Sakura’s face lit up and she let out a chuckle.
“Um Haruno…” “Sakura… my name’s Sakura. Sakura Nakamura,” she corrected. Sakura and Haruno. Sasuke gave another smile upon hearing this. Cherry blossom and blooming. This girl… “Thanks for everything….And I was also wondering how you keep a secret identity with no mask.” Sakura now burst out laughing. “Oh yeah… well this is my natural appearance. My power comes from this yin seal” she gestured to her forehead mark as she spoke, “I usually wear glasses, use concealer on the seal and, don’t laugh, but I wear a blond high pony tail wig during the day.” This girl had another power Sasuke concluded, the power to amuse him. “Hmm” was all he offered. “Yeah my friend, Alice keeps telling me I’m trying to look like that supermodel, Ino Uzumaki but hey, it works!”
Sakura could feel the words being vomited out but she couldn’t stop talking. She realised that she loved talking to him, that she sort of liked him. Sasuke was the first person she met who she felt close to like this. He was intelligent, successful, interesting and he just… got her and his smile… Sakura knew she was into him. Was he into her? Sirens wailing messed up her thought process and once again she was back to hero mode. “Anyway Sasuke… you’re still not back to full strength. I just had enough power to heal the major wound in your chest. If you’d like we can go to my place, which isn’t far, and I could patch you up there. Not with any powers though. I am out of juice. Ha ha.” Sasuke’s faced reddened further. “Oh my gosh no! I didn’t mean… not like a date or anything. I’m a medical student so I thought…” “Hmm…” Sasuke felt like an idiot now. Of course that’s what she meant. Of course with her intelligence she was going to be a doctor. Did he sell out himself? Was it obvious that she made him blush?
It was the first time he met someone so different yet so complementary to himself. They fit together perfectly. Sakura was every bit a match for him in terms of heroism despite being a rookie and her intelligence rivaled and probably even surpassed his own. Yet she was bright and cheerful like a newly bloomed cherry blossom. Unlike him, she was not tainted by loss and sadness; the darkness of this world and while, he had relied on his sense of duty and his pain to fuel his heroism further, Sakura just wanted to help people and do what was right, much like Itachi did, much like Sasuke himself did before tragedy struck. He really was attracted to her. “Sakura, I know.” He had to keep up is serious facade. She couldn’t know that she got him bothered. She shouldn’t sense his internal screaming. Maybe it was time to partner up with someone. Sakura and him worked together beautifully and he couldn’t deny that something was there. Whether it be romance or whatever Sasuke knew he needed her to be around him. If that led to romance at some point so what? Itachi told him to live, to enjoy life and that’s exactly what he intended to do. He wanted to get to know Sakura and now was the time Sasuke was going to rely on his heart, not his head. “Lead the way.” Sakura’s sunny smile was her only response and the two walked off into the night.
“You know I met this other hero the other day.” “Hmm.” His name was Kurama. Wouldn’t it be great if we all teamed up to patrol?…” That usuratonkachi!
Flowers
SasuSaku Month 2018 – Day 8: Flowers
Rating: T (Just a tiny speck of language).
Context: A little non-canon compliant.
A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it! This is the last part to this little theme.
Part 1 (Day 2) , Part 2 (Day 3) , Part 3 (Day 4) , Part 4 (Day 5) , Part 5 (Day 6) , Part 6 (Day 7)
A very amused, albeit confused, pair of bright cerulean eyes watched from behind the counter as a clearly agitated Sasuke Uchiha passed by the store once, twice, three times in five minute intervals. He never looked inside; simply strolled by in a rigid stride. If Ino didn’t know any better, she’d say he was debating whether or not to come in to the flower shop. Once again, he walked by except that this time Sasuke stopped about three feet away from the entrance and seemed to be staring intently at the door as if it would burst into flames the second he touched it. Thirty suspenseful seconds passed before the door opened and a cheerful chiming of the bell on top echoed through the empty shop.
“Welcome to our newly renovated shop, Uchiha,” greeted Ino. She watched him nod in her direction then focus on a section of flowers to his right. His gaze never settled on one thing which gave her the impression he had no idea what he was looking for. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
There was a brief pause of silence where she almost expected him to ignore her question.
“Are you in stock of white lilies?” Sasuke asked calmly. “I’d like three small arrangements, if possible.”
“I do, actually, in the back,” Ino replied. “Just one sec.”
White lilies, huh. The most favored flower for those of the deceased.
Ino wasted no time in slipping to the back room where they kept the giant fridge for their flowers and pulled out enough lilies to be able to make three arrangements. She also pulled some decorative weeds for purely aesthetic reasons and headed back to the counter to roll them up. She found Sasuke on the other side of the room holding two types of flowers in his hand and glancing between the two very intently. So intently, in fact, it was a surprise his sharingan wasn’t activated. Ino narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion at his unusual actions. The flowers she was currently working on were understandable and she had a pretty good idea who they were for, but it was obvious he was trying to pick something out for someone.
“Rejection,” Ino piped up. Sasuke whipped his head around to look at her like a deer caught in headlights. She tipped her head in the direction of his hand. “That yellow carnation, it represents rejection or disappointment. That other one there represents sorrow.”
SasuSaku Month Day 9: Written in the Stars
Under the Starry Sky
SSM 2018 Day 6: Ghosts
.
Team
Seven stood before the house they were hired to guard. The two-stories
building was old and unkempt, with the grass before it knee-high and the
weeds growing wildly. A flock of black birds cawed ominously above
their heads as they went up to the front door.“Spooky…” Naruto commented with a shudder. “Who would want to steal from this ruin?”
“We
don’t know if someone’s stealing. There can be some other reason for
those suspicious noises at night,” Sakura replied with a frown. She
agreed with Naruto about one thing—the place really looked spooky…
like a haunted house from the movies.“Like what? Ghosts?” Naruto asked, sounding genuinely scared.
“Are you really afraid of ghosts?” Sakura shook her head. “You know they don’t exist?”
“They can’t exist if they’re already dead, duh. I’m not stupid, Sakura-chan. Ghosts just show up and—booo!”
“Oh, come on! Sasuke-kun, tell him that ghosts aren’t real!” Sakura asked their strangely silent teammate.
Sasuke
pretended not to hear her. Instead, he changed the topic to the patrols
and shifts for the night. Sakura hoped to go on patrols together with
him, but it was more practical that one person guarded the entrance,
while the other two patrolled the floors, changing location every hour.
She conceded to this decision without complaint, mostly because Naruto
also didn’t get to patrol with her.Sakura was on the second
floor, when she heard a creak behind her, as if someone stepped on a
loose floorboard. She turned around, kunai held in front of her, heart
beating wildly, but there was nothing there. Sakura checked around to
make sure, but she didn’t find any intruders. She sighed and put the
kunai back in her pouch. Of course, this was an old house, everything
was rickety, creaking and groaning for no reason other than old age and
use.
A Celebration of Our Own
SasuSaku Month 2018
Day 7: Tanabata
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Author’s Note: So I originally planned a hurt/comfort plot for this prompt after squeezing my brain but I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life 😂 Then this idea appeared and… yeah… I crave fluff.
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Sakura felt torn, but her responsibilities as a medic nin came before her own selfish desires.
Sasuke just came back from his self-imposed road to redemption yesterday, just in time for the tanabata festival Konoha is known for, and Naruto already arranged that Team 7 will go together. Though he insisted that he was just passing by and wanted to deliver a message to Kakashi, his presence in the village was enough to make the kunoichi smile throughout the day. She knew that the streets would be filled to the brim with decorations and food, and most of all she looked forward to spend some time with her silent dark-haired teammate.
It’s been so long since he came home. He wasn’t able to go to Konoha personally during the attack of the human time bombs when they asked for his help, but he played a crucial part in solving it. She was a bit heartbroken that he couldn’t come back, but she understood his reasons. Sakura knew from the bottom of her heart that the village was Sasuke’s home, and he would always find his way to return to it – in his time, when he’s ready.
That’s why she hugged him a little too tightly when they greeted him at the gates yesterday. After a hearty dinner at Ichiraku’s, Sakura dashed her way to her favourite store to buy a new yukata to celebrate the occasion. It was the perfect shade of green that matched her eyes, with her namesake decorating the obi and sleeves.
Sakura started to fix her things in her office, excitement coursing through her veins. Despite the busy day at the hospital, the thought of being with her beloved team energized her more than her seal. But then, just as she was about to end her shift, she heard a nurse running towards her direction, and the door was slammed open.
“Sakura-sama! I’m sorry for intruding but Tsunade-sama needs you at the emergency room quickly!”
Not needing another word, the medic ran off and arrived in record time. What she saw stunned her momentarily. Four shinobi – ANBU, the masks and their outfit were a dead giveaway – were fighting for their lives on the hospital beds. One suddenly started vomiting a bloody mess, and Sakura sprung into action.
“It’s a bad case of poisoning, Sakura. I already had Shizune look at their blood samples to identify the culprit,” the former hokage briefed her on what was happening. “It’s making them bleed profusely, slowly turning their organs to goo, and shutting down the immune system. We need to act fast.”
“Hai, shishou.”
Immediately her healing chakra glowed.
Sakura forgot about the seconds, minutes, and hours that passed. All her focus was on her patients and the determination to save them urged her tired body to heal them more. And when she thought that ordeal was over, her pediatric patient with a broken pelvis started deteriorating, leaving her no choice but to perform another surgery stat.
.
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Sakura removed the OR cap and went back to her office to take a warm shower. It was already ten in the evening, and she already sent word to Naruto that she couldn’t come to the festival with them, as she was stuck in surgery. She passed by a nurse’s station and saw a bamboo plant decorated with all things that showcased tanabata and filled with tanzaku. She saw he own piece of paper, wincing inside.
I hope Team 7 will have a great time at the festival today!
‘There’s always next year, right?’ Sakura thought to herself, smiling sadly. ‘There’s always next time.’
The kunoichi sighed and proceeded to take the aforementioned shower to wash away the stress and frustration of the day. After changing into a new set of clothes, she grabbed her swivelling chair and took it to the balcony. Her stomach protested that it was empty, but she paid it no mind. She just wants to see the fireworks. She looked up the sky, waiting for it to shine with a thousand colors.
Just then she felt her heart stop when she recognized an all too familiar chakra signature. She could sense him anywhere.
“Sa-Sasuke-kun?!”
Indeed, mismatched orbs that could only belong to the sole Uchiha greeted her. “Aa.”
Sakura stood up, a blush forming on her cheeks. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going with Naruto and the rest.”
He shrugged. “I escaped. Too many people. You know I don’t like the crowds.”
She couldn’t help but laugh good naturedly. “Still the same old Sasuke-kun. Let me get a chair for you,” she offered, dashing inside and appearing with the furniture a second later.
“Arigatou,” his deep voice could still make her heart melt. Both sat side by side in silence for a few moments, until Sasuke handed out a bento box to her hidden by his cloak.
“I had a feeling that you still haven’t eaten anything since you were in surgery, so I brought you something.”
Tears of joy started to form on her eyes and now she was certain that her heart’s gonna burst. “You didn’t have to do this, Sasuke-kun. But thank you so much,” she beamed at him. The former avenger looked away hide his emotions, but his orbs focused on her again when he heard her delighted gasp.
Sakura recognized the street food served at the stalls during tanabata. The first layer contained okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba and ikayaki. When she lifted it to see the next layer, it was filled with dango, daifuku, and ringo ame.
“I know that you liked festivals and the food so much, so I thought that since you’re busy saving lives, I’ll bring a bit of the festival to you,” he admitted, eyes earnest.
She didn’t know if someone already died due to too much giddiness and overwhelming happiness, but Sakura though she might be the first one. She stood up, placed the food carefully on the chair, and tackled Sasuke into a hug that caused the two of them to fall on the floor.
“Thank you thank you thank you, Sasuke-kun! I’m so happy right now!” Indeed, the night took a 360 degrees turn, and she couldn’t be happier. Here she thought she would be spending the seventh day of the seventh month alone, but now she’s with the man she loves with her whole heart, and he brought her favourite festival foods to her.
‘You’re just making me fall in love with you even more, Sasuke-kun.’
All of a sudden she felt him stiffen. It was then that it registered upon her brain that she said her feelings out loud.
Just as she was about to pull away and apologize again and again, Sasuke hugged her back. Now it was her turn to be shocked.
“Anything for you, Sakura.” He pressed his cheek at the side of her head, and the kunoichi wondered if it was her heart that was beating so hard or his. She loosened her hug on him to look at his profile. Unconsciously, almost like instinct, their faces came closer to one another. It felt like the pull of gravity, sparks tingling the air.
When their noses touched, a screeching sound was heard following a loud explosion. The fireworks finally started. Noticing their position, they both turned away to hide their blushing faces, deciding that the display of colors signalling the end of tanabata was a good thing to turn their attention to. Throughout the time that the night sky was illuminated with sparks of light, Sasuke didn’t release his hold on her waist, and Sakura could hardly pay attention to the beautiful display.
The heard the cheers of the crowd when the last and biggest firework shone its glory. After a few minutes, neither of them spoke a word, too content in each other’s presence.
Then Sakura’s stomach grumbled again.
She felt the blush heating her face up, and the amused smirk Sasuke gave her did nothing to calm her down.
“You should eat,” the Uchiha announced with almost a teasing tone. After saying her thanks, she digged in, closing her eyes in pure happiness when she tasted the takoyaki. Munching on it, she took another ball of the food using her chopsticks.
“Say aah, Sasuke-kun.”
He looked away and she pouted at that, but her heart soared again when she saw his mouth partly open, his silent affirmation to allow her to do what she wanted.
And so that was how the two spent their first tanabata together in a while… eating, her talking, him listening… both knowing that there was no other place they’d rather be.
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❀ sasusaku month 2018 ❀
✦ DAY 08: Flowers ✦
sasusaku month 2018
days 03 & 04— restless/ burn
title: Fever
summary: It’s the night after their tragic encounter, and the team has decided to stay at an inn for the night. Even if she was supposed to be resting, something inside of her won’t let her fall asleep. Canon-verse; set after the meeting at the Iron Bridge.
a/n: So…. I was feeling a bit angsty when I started this fic and I apologize for what you’re about to read. It’s not something happy, but it isn’t really sad either… It’s pure angst. SasuSaku brings that stuff on me, and I’m really glad I could finally explore a bit of my thoughts on what happened right after the events of the Iron Bridge. Even if it’s different from the others I usually write, I hope you can still enjoy this small one! Please, tell me what you think and how you feel about it!
Fever: an abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering, headache, and in severe instances, delirium.
It burns in a way no flame has ever burned her skin before. It irks, throbs and her muscles painfully contract around her neck. It’s as if her entire body is being swallowed by the fire, and yet, death doesn’t come to take away the pain.
Her breathing is uneven, her clothes are soaked in sweat and her neck stings at the soft brush of the thick, chilling air that enters through the window. It’s a cold night, she knows, but not even the winter breeze seems to be enough to lower the temperature of her entire system. She can feel her hair sticking to the back of her neck, irritating even more the area which is certainly source of that harrowing heat.
She holds back her boiling tears, clutching the sheets in her hands and biting her lower lip until she can taste the iron of her own blood. Her emerald eyes remain open as she stares at the wooden ceiling of the inn’s room, fear taking over her soul and preventing her eyelids to remain closed for more than a second.
Sakura doesn’t dare close her eyes, no. She doesn’t want to be trapped in that dark inferno that resembles his cold stare so much. She saw his eyes less than 24 hours ago, and even if that used to be a dream of hers for the past 3 years, now, she’s completely terrified of them.
Those eyes… That man.
Her heart aches and her neck burns at the simple thought, and once again, the medic nin starts to feel her throat constricting with an unusual weight wrapped around it. A panic attack is building up inside her— the second of the night— and she uselessly struggles to differ reality from the nightmare she can’t really hide from.
You’re safe, she thinks, repeating it like a mantra in her head. You’re alive and so is he. Now pull yourself together!
She’s shaking in fear now, and that reaction only makes her hate herself even more, for it reminds her of her past. It reminds her of the girl she used to be, who believed being a ninja meant only that she would be able to spend her days with the coolest boy of her class.
That girl was pathetic. She was weak and too pure for the real world a ninja has to face. Always worrying about futile things and never really having to sacrifice much to cross her obstacles, that girl had no idea of the harsh reality that awaited for her.
She didn’t know the real meaning of loving someone. And tonight, once again, Sakura was paying the price for that ignorance.
“ Fuck.” A deep curse escapes her lips, and the pinkette finally decides that lying in bed like that won’t really help her calm down. Slowly, then, she rolls to the side, sitting up as both of her feet are touching the hard, wooden floor. She rests her elbows on her knees, her bangs falling forward as she lowers her head, and it’s only after she sighs, defeatedly, that the medic nin stands up. Quickly, she spares a glance at the night sky through the open window, hopping— begging— not to see any traces of red in between those trees. She stumbles her way towards the small bathroom, and once there, her fingers hesitate a bit before turning on the lights. Sakura isn’t sure if turning them on will be a good idea, but eventually, she does, blinding her at first before her eyes can finally settle.
And once they do, her heart sinks a little deeper.
As she stares at the woman in the mirror, Sakura finds that it’s still hard to believe that all of those colors are, indeed, painting her body. She swallows hard, lifting her right hand to her neck, and this time, sad tears manage to run down her face.
It burns, she thinks, still not able to take her eyes away from her own reflex. For it’s been over 8 hours since their encounter, the colors have already settled around her skin, an ugly mix of purple and red outlining the one mark that will forever haunt her thoughts.
There’s a hand there. His hand, with all of his fingers encircling her neck and preventing her from breathing. Even if her brain knows that she is safe right now, Sakura can still feel the same, burning pressure that crushed her throat earlier today. He was strangling her with all his strength, and in his eyes, she saw no mercy or regret. In his eyes, there was a burning flame that was going to swallow her alive, the heat from his soul scaring the life out of her. He was going to kill her. That man was going to kill her in the same way she tried to kill whatever remained of the one she was supposed to bring home.
The thought of her actions makes her fingers curl into a tight fist, and she can feel her nails piercing through the skin of her palm. Sakura actually thought she was doing the right thing but only now she can see how selfish and naive she was for actually believing she could do that.
She couldn’t kill Sasuke. Pff she was never a match for him and she will never be. He’s an excellent shinobi, with an amazing power and no emotional strings to hold him back. More than anyone, she should’ve known that she could never suppress her feelings for him and prioritize her mission. She’s been in love with him for too long already, and she doesn’t have enough power to shut him out of her life.
No. She could never kill him. Sakura could never kill the man she loves, and now, the ghost of the boy he used to be will forever haunt her dreams.
She’s feeling dirty now. Ashamed. And yet, in the midst of that fire taking over her core, her heart feels cold in a somewhat relieving way. Even if it still hurts and even if it’s broken into millions of pieces, it doesn’t burn, and right now, this is the only thing she can hold onto.
Right now, it’s the only thing keeping her sane, and in the future, she hopes, it will have to be enough to bring her back.
Her eyes close in a heavy way, and she finally decides to splash some water on her face. A temporary cool sensation takes over her cheeks, but soon, the temperature rises again. She runs her soaked fingers through her pink locks, leaning forward against the sink and watching as the drops fall from her face. The silence of the dawn fills her ears, and if anything, she finds it incredibly comforting that her suffering isn’t loud enough to make any difference out there.
She doesn’t want to bother the others with her own problems. She doesn’t want to be the weakling again and to burden Naruto with things she was supposed to solve by herself. God knows she’s done enough already, and from now on, Sakura needs to at least seem stronger than she actually is.
No more crying in front of the others. No more hesitating, and certainly, no more hiding.
You are a ninja, for fuck’s sake! Her eyes are glaring at her own reflexion now, not ignoring her bruises anymore. Even if she wants to cry and hide those colors behind withe bandages, the Haruno girl refuses to do so, for she needs to face the reality of her own actions.
Those bruises are real. They were given to her by the love of her life, and now, they belong to her.
And just like his coldness froze her heart before, Sakura will let his harshness burn her alive if she has to, but she will face it all as a warrior should. She will carry that lump on her throat every time she has to lie about being okay, and she will ignore the pain in her chest whenever his eyes come back to haunt her dreams.
She will be stronger. Not tonight, but eventually, she will.
She will forget him, but never the one he used to be; and she will still fight to bring him back, for her best friend can’t do it all alone.
Uciha Sasuke is also a burden she has to carry. He’s a sin that corrupts her heart, and unless she purifies him, there’s no turning back on the path she once chose to follow.
Sakura can’t stop loving him. Not even if she wants to— not even right now. It’s pathetic and incredibly painful to love a man like that, but it’s the only thing left from the time when they were all happy. She can’t give up on that feeling, no. In order to preserve the one thing that has always been with her even when nothing else was, she can’t give up on that feeling.
And as she heads back to the room, her emerald eyes don’t bother to glance towards the window. She sits on the edge of the bed, that annoying silence still mocking her ears, and she hopes that, at least for now, the words— the excuses— she’s just told herself will be enough to help her through the night.
Tonight, she hopes these lies will fool her. And tomorrow, she hopes they can become her truth.
SasuSaku Month 