It's been a year since I updated this story. Sorry to anyone who cares but now I can hopefully draw this story to a close (aren't you thrilled? I am!).
While this chapter is pretty long compared to the others ('cause Sasuke and Sakura finally meet again!) it will probably be the second to last one. Expect me to have an update with the ending soon. Thanks again!
I do not own Naruto.
0o0o0
Sakura gnawed on her lip, her eyes shifting back and forth. On her right side stood a ninja, on her left, another. She controlled her urge to scream and kept her boiling rage to herself. No use acting like a lunatic.
"What's the point of having two guards in the same room as me?" Sakura decided she wouldn't be intimidated. She coolly crossed her legs and folded her arms. Over the past few years she had developed this persona, the cold jade eyed girl who could not be hurt by anything, who didn't give a damn if you wounded her or beat her to a bloody mess. The almost blank like stare appeared once again on her face and Sakura finally felt she was in her element.
"We looked you up before we even considered helping your village capture you." The ninja on her left had chosen to respond, a tall purple haired female. "Supposedly you got some training from the great Lady Tsunade herself. You didn't complete it but if you are a strong as your sensei, we don't want to take any chances. Got it sweetheart?"
Sakura faintly narrowed her eyes. She had spent most of her time with men, luring them with her body. But talking to women had become rare, almost taboo for her. She could no longer feel comfortable around them. It was even worse when she was around kunoichi. She, the girl who slept with countless of men, had greatly tainted a kunoichi's honor. She had no right to feel comfortable.
To the guard's surprise, Sakura let out a mirthless laugh. She shot the kunoichi a look. "If I was a powerful as you think I am I would have been back at Konoha a long time ago."
The man on her right deeply sighed and kept his eyes closed. Sakura secretly felt jealous of his genuine coolness. She could tell by the aloofness of his attitude, no wrinkles of worry or stress on his forehead. In fact his forehead and eyes were the only features exposed on his face. On his head he wore a cap and scarf covered the lower half of his face. The man slightly opened one eye to look at her. "Shame." He mumbled. "You could have made a good ninja."
Sakura suddenly felt her heart throb. She hadn't heard those words in such a long time. Who did this man remind her of?
'You'll make a good ninja Sakura.'
She tried to eye him emotionlessly but she was beginning to falter. She inched towards the man.
"You…you are…"
She was cut short when the iron door sharply opened. A huge bulk of a man, dressed in expensive attire with an expensive hat covering his head walked in followed by some other ninja. He looked at her, sizing her up, disgust etched on his features.
"This is the little whore Konoha asked us to find?"
Sakura's good feel heart throb instantly vanished as it turned into ice. The man's words were almost as cutting as his cologne. Well she shouldn't have expected anything less. She was in Fire Country after all.
While both Konoha and this village resided in the Land of Fire, it was villages like this one that comprised up most of the land. Rivaling the size of Konoha tough fairly new when comparing their ages, Village of the Hell Dog was harsh and violent. Their only forms of government were local lords who acted more like thugs than their titles suggested. They constantly competed with one another and worked the peasants on their land raw with their greed.
But apparently a new lord had come into power about seven years ago, and already he taken down ten of the local lords. All of their land, peasant, valuable, and ninja became his. If anyone wanted to talk the leader of this village it was him. And here was, calling Sakura a whore. Lovely.
"It would seem so sir." the Kunoichi answered. "She claims her name is Haruno Sakura and she certainly fits the description. What do you suggest we do Lord Mayochi?" The large man sniffed in disdain and shrugged. "I suppose we simply wait till her fellow villagers come fetch here."
He then put a hand on his chin as if he were thinking. Sakura could tell he was just putting on a show and when his eyes looked her over again she began to have a bad feeling in her gut.
"But I suppose we should investigate her first. No one really knows what's she's been doing these past months, she could be a spy for the Akatsuki for all we know. How about this? Let me question her in my office. I'll see what I can get out of her."
And by the way he was looking at her he wanted quite a lot from her.
"Are you sure sir?" the male ninja on her right asked. "Why waste your time on her when we ourselves could-"
"I said I'll do it!" Mayochi commanded. "You little petal, get up."
Sakura sullenly did as she was told as her heart trembled and her stomach began to roll thunderously. Great, just fucking great. It looked like she still had one more job to do and it wasn't even going to lead her anywhere. The pug faced man smiled. "That's a good pretty little wrench. Follow me."
Sakura trailed behind him to the lion's den.
0o0o0
"Naruto."
"Hmm?" As they sprinted at god like speed through the forest, the blunt, canine like man next to him sent him a look of slight interest and concern.
"What are you going to do when you see her?"
No one had been planning to ask the question but it had been dying to be asked and of course, bold Kiba was the only one suitable to ask it. Lee, who was barely behind the two, waited to hear the blonde's answer, while Neji, who was next to him, did likewise. Naruto gave a weary smile.
"I'm still wondering myself actually. I don't want to over-react like I usually do."
His companions remained quiet as he slipped into silence only to say afterwards, "It doesn't really matter what I say, as I long as I bring her back home safely."
0o0o0
Greasy fingers trailed her jaw and words slurred with lust where whispered into her ears. "You're a dirty whore but that hasn't taken away your beauty." Mayochi smiled viciously as Sakura, who made no response, stared at the wall ahead of her.
"You're like a porcelain doll."
Yes, she'd been called that many times before. By now if she ever saw a room filled with the delicate dolls she had been compared with, she'd break them all into a million pieces, make sure they could never be fixed again, then grind them into dust.
"You didn't bring me here to interrogate me did you?"
"Of course not. You should know how the world screws women like you by now."
Oh she knew, she defiantly knew. The world liked to screw her constantly but at least she chose this life herself. At least she had a purpose for it all this time. But she would finally be able to see Sasuke now. After they meet all her troubles would end and she could retire from this life in peace. But this pig was already screwing with her dream, screwing with her. Her hands balled into fist and her fingernail's drove themselves into her skin. Her blank eyes were suddenly ignited and they burned with hate.
"I don't have to take this crap anymore." she spat out. "I'm sick of thoughtless men like you!" "Bitches are to keep quiet when their masters call them." he muttered darkly and without warning he slapped her hard across the face.
Sakura flew into a nearby bookshelf and a hardcover fell harshly onto her head. She did not let out a cry when Mayochi fiercely grabbed her by the collar and lifted her dirty feet off the ground.
"I heard you had it all going for you but then you left and ruined yourself. You're just a smart little girl who turned out to be stupid because of a traitor. You shouldn't complain! This is what woman like you deserve."
He threw her to the ground and then pounced on her. His cold, chubby hands painfully roved over her body and Sakura lost it. She couldn't do it. She couldn't become the little emotionless doll she had willed herself to become in times like these. Because she didn't want to be a blank doll anymore. She wanted to stop thinking about what a wonder she had a chance to become before she horribly lowered her standards. She wanted to stop looking, she wanted to be found! All she had wanted all this time was him...
"Sasuke!!"
The building shook at that exact moment, crumbling; a clump of the ceiling fell on Mayochi's head, breaking it open on the spot and then all hell broke loose.
0o0o0
Naruto gaped in sheer horror as he watched an explosion go off at the building that was only a couple of miles ahead of them. The village ninjas that had been leading him and his group, paused for a mere second before running towards the damage. Only one stayed behind.
"Please follow me." he ordered calmly but Naruto was already ahead of him rushing towards the scene.
0o0o0
She could barely comprehend anything and the loud ringing sound in her ears made the sounds around her vague. Dully, she began to push the already dead lord off her body but his weight made the job rather difficult. Furious by his words, with herself, and her bitter truth, she mustered up all the little charka she had and threw the limp body away from her. Mayochi beautifully flew through a wall and several more afterwards. Sakura smiled mercilessly. She still had it her after all.
"Now to get the hell out of here."
Trying her best to step over the debris, she lightly padded her way to the door and nudged it open. She was met with an eerily silent hallway. At her feet where Moyichi's guards. They had met the same fate as their leader. Sakura felt rather sympathetic for them but her pity was cut short when another explosion sounded.
Using her ninja instincts (for they seemed to be coming back to her) she dodged toward a corner near the end of the hallway, chunks of ceiling barely missing her.
As she crouched in her corner of safety her mind began to race with answers for the sudden attack. Well the village was known to get into fights with other village lords and nobles. Perhaps that was it. Mayochi was a slimy bastard; anyone would take revenge on him.
But the attacks had also put a setback to her plans. How was she supposed to find Sasuke now? It wasn't as if she could easily walk out of the building with at least injuring herself in some way or another. Her legs were already bleeding and the energy she had only hours ago had long since faded into the background. Sasuke could have already fled the scene by now.
The thought was horrifying to say the least. Frustrated, Sakura cursed under her breath and closed her eyes shut. It was all ruined, what could she do, how could she still achieve her goal, what was she suppose to do, what, how, why…?
"Get a grip on yourself!" she shouted to herself. Moping around and panicking wouldn't do her any good. She had to get out of here despite the risk. As she was about to get up the building shook once more and she instantly took a seat again. Better wait till the building stopped shaking and then she could…
Someone called.
The girl instantly shot her tired head up and tried to strain her ears to hear.
They called again.
This voice was so far away it was like a whisper or a silent pray that only a few were suppose to hear. Sakura sat silently as the building still trembled, her flurry of thought now gone. She listened.
"Sakura…"
That was her name, wasn't it?
"Sakura…"
Somehow she never imagined it could sound so sweet.
"Sakura!"
And because it was so sweet…
"SAKURA!"
…It could only mean…
The building shook again, swaying with her as she quickly got up and then her life changed once more.
Sasuke turned the corner, eyes wide with irritation and worry till he saw her dirty, gorgeous face staring back at him.
She was completely stupefied for a moment and then her mouth opened up to question. "Sasuke?" The young man, tired and worn out, tried to look at her angrily but the relief was too much to hide. His handsome face looked bright against the dim atmosphere. "After all these years all you can say is my name?"
"I just…" she let out quickly, too quickly, and she felt a sob run through her body.
"Oh god, I can't, I can't…!"
She couldn't look at him. She was filth.
The tears wouldn't stop, the realization was too real, and terror gripped her throat horribly and gagged her. She found him, yes she found him. But the girl who had started on this sinful journey was no longer home. She had fled far away into her memories, dead. All that was left was a shell and in it inhabited a mad woman.
"Sakura."
Don't say her name. Now that she's seen him she realizes that Sakura no longer resides within her.
"Sakura look at me." He ordered sterner this time.
To see her, the mess, the whore, the weak porcelain doll who's about to crack? She did not comply to his request and it set him off.
"I've been following you for months now Sakura." His voice rose. "I've been killing all those fuckers who touched you. The ones you let touch you. And what was all of that was for?" For me?"
His voice rose higher and higher till it howled with anger and pain.
"Do you have any clue what you've done to yourself? How much you hurt not only yourself but Naruto and the others as well? Well do you?"
And that is why she did not look at his face.
"If you have any sense left in your head look at me right now!"
"I don't have any left I'm afraid…" she mumbled dryly, no emotion, nothing. The tears ran passively down her face and her hands shook uncontrollably but she didn't feel anything. She was really scarred beyond repair, isn't she? Even the love she had for him… was scarred. It couldn't be fixed.
All was silent and they were in a world all to themselves. It was the saddest world one could make.
"Sakura…" His voice was calmer now and saw the broken girl in front of him. He knew that even though she was foolish all of her actions, her feelings, her thoughts were for him. The reason she was like this was because it was all his fault. The men he silenced weren't the ones who made her this way. It was him.
"Sakura." He wept for the first time in years and scoped her up in his arms. The images he had when he often imagined their meeting were grim but they were nothing like this. They ended with him taking her back to Konoha. Now all he wanted to do was hold her tight, breathe life into once more and see her smile.
She sniffed and stirred. She was regaining sanity faster than she thought she would. His actions had moved her. Shyly she peeked up from his robes and his tears sprinkled her tender face.
"Would it be annoying to tell you that I love you now?" she asked before thinking. The outlaw knit his eyebrows together even harder than they already were and roughly pushed her to his chest again.
"It'd be very annoying. Everything you do will be annoying from now on." His words were harsh but their meaning held something so wonderful that even he himself could not imagine feeling before.
The building swayed in the wind and Sakura, though dirty, beaten, and broken, felt peace.
"Even so I hope you don't find it annoying if I ask you to take me with you."
She boldly removed her face from his chest again and kissed his forehead.
And his response was to put a crushing kiss on her lips.
0o0o0
The damage was astounding and all Naruto could do was stand next to his fellow ninja and take it in. A few survivors were being ushered away from the wreckage and many ran back and forth for help and back up.
"Why the hell did this happen?" Kiba asked out loud as they passed by a man screaming that he couldn't find his leg. "Lord Mayochi is known to have many enemies." Neji explained, his cool eyes barely disturbed by the turn of events. Barely. He still felt sick whenever he smelt blood wafting in the air.
"I do hope Sakura-san is alright." Lee admitted quite worried. He still had a soft spot for her and had hoped to see her, damaged, but at least in one piece. The chance of that was starting to look slim. Naruto gritted his teeth and fear begin to crawl within his very pores. If Sakura died just when he had a chance to bring her back it would be too much for him to handle.
"Yo." Spoke a familiar voice.
Naruto turned to see a man with a black cap and half his face covered by a scarf. It took a while, especially since he was still shell shocked but Naruto recognized him. "Kakashi sensei?" The man took off his hat to reveal his famous unruly, gray hair. "Thought you wouldn't be able recognize me for a moment. Sakura surely didn't."
Naruto anxiously put his hands on his teacher's shoulders. "You saw her? Is she with you, is she alright?" Kakashi nodded his head.
"I don't know where she is but she is fine. Her chakra's weaker now but I can still sense it. She's was with Lord Mayochi."
"What is that infamous womanizer doing with her?" cried out Kiba disgusted that she would have to be subjected to the man's whims. Kakashi passively crossed his arms in spite of the youngsters worry.
"I was going to go to Lord Mayochi myself and demand he let her go but then the bombs started to set off. He's dead now but Sakura managed to survive." Naruto gritted his teeth, impatient.
"Then let's go and find her."
"Not so fast. There's more I have to tell you."
"What else could it be?" Naruto cried out but Kakashi continued anyway. "Simple Naruto. Who do you think set off those bombs?"
The blond became quiet, just now comprehending that he had not asked himself the question. Neji nodded his head sagely. "I was wondering myself who it could be. I know Mayochi has enemies but that doesn't rule out one possibility."
"That is?" Kiba grilled.
"Who's to say that the person who set off the bomb is here not for this Mayochi and his village but for Konoha."
"But no one announced that we were coming here." Lee pointed out. "While that is true, it's no secret that we have been searching for Sakura for some time now. We made it public. What if an inside spy got wind of Sakura's reappearance? Obviously we would come here to fetch her. And it's not as is we don't have our share of rivals too." He turned to Kakashi. "Am I right?
"I'm afraid so." Kakashi agreed. "But we have an even bigger problem than that." The young men raised their eyebrows unanimously.
"He hid his chakra right after the first bomb set off," Kakashi explained. "But right before it did I felt it only for a second. It was fairly quick but I'm positive it's him."
Naruto, who had been keeping quiet, softly asked, "Who?"
Kakashi looked his straight in the eye. "The only other person we've been searching for all this time Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke himself."
0o0o0
Thanks for bearing with me and taking your time to read. Please if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or you just like it/hated it please review. Reviews mean a lot to a writer.