Bound.
The final chapter has come. I know it took like, over half a year, but I've finally gotten it out of the jumbled up web that is my brain, and I hope you all enjoy the last edition to the story. (I personally disliked the last chapter, so I don't know.) I'm sorry it took so long, I just haven't had the time.
Disc: BAHHAHA. Right.
Here we go.
"SASUKE!" Sakura's eyes were glued to the body on the ground and it took a moment for her mind to register that the scream had come from her own mouth. "Oh Kami, please no!"
She moved quickly towards his fallen silhouette, eyes hard to keep them from tearing up. She bent down, hands already glowing green when she heard the kunai whiz up behind her. There was nothing she could do as it struck the soft skin at the back of her neck, lodging in between disk plates and severing her brain stem from--
Haha. Just kidding. Take it easy! -ducks from rotten fruit-
Ready? Set. Go!
Karin had left them standing in the wet woods and Sakura had some questions for the dark haired man next to her.
"You thought you recognized the chakra!?" She was pissed, "And you never said anything! Why? I want to know why!"
"Because I couldn't be sure," Sasuke replied calmly, "That's why. Stop being such a pain in the ass."
Sakura scoffed, completely unbothered, "If anyone's a pain in the ass around here, Uchiha Sasuke, it's you. You're so ungrateful. I can't even stand it."
"Hn."
"You don't even care, do you?" Sasuke remained silent, "You don't even care. None of this bothers you at all.
They both stood, eye to eye, Sakura's face twisted into a frown and Sasuke had his cold face on, the one with no expression.
"Are you going to say something that I can actually understand?" Sakura asked in a clipped tone.
"Probably not."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You don't seem to be very good at comprehension lately."
"Excuse me?"
"…"
"Did you really just say that?"
"Hn."
Anger was shimmering in her eyes for a moment before she turned away from him and stomped back towards the camp. The last feeling he saw in her eyes was sadness. Sighing, he turned and followed her petite form towards the rest of their team.
Kakashi was confused. Sasuke and Sakura had come back with the dry wood, but Sakura looked down right furious, and her chakra was flaring dangerously. What could Sasuke have done in the last five minutes to upset her that much? He knew she had gotten some of her temper from their current Hokage, but even so, Sakura seemed to have more control over her anger than Tsunade did, and she hadn't gotten this mad (not even at Naruto), in a long while. Things that were surrounding team seven kept getting curiouser and curiouser.
"I don't want to hear it," Sakura was saying as they got closer, "It's no excuse."
"Hn."
"She's not just gonna let it go that easily! I would know, I'm a girl."
"Whatcha talkin' about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as the pinkette set down the wood, "What'd the Teme do this time?"
"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke grumbled, setting his share of dry wood down as well. He looked at Sakura once, his brow furrowing.
Shocked because of Sasuke's obvious discomfort, Naruto shut his mouth. Sakura sighed, looking up and Sasuke caught her eye. Sasuke's shoulders went rigid and he left her there, moving towards Kakashi and Sai. She frowned and turned away from everything, walking over to her pack.
"Sai and I will be going ahead to see if we can get more supplies for the next few days back to the village," Kakashi informed the three original members of the team, "Do me and the surrounding area a favor and try to get along. No big fights that make the earth tremble, alright?"
Each of them mumbled an affirmative and Kakashi's eye crinkled. He and Sai disappeared out of the camp. Sasuke looked up just as Sakura did, once again catching her eye, only for a moment. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over and Sasuke stalked over to the other side of the camp and sat down, tending to the fire. Sakura bit her lip, pulling the makings of her tent out of her pack.
It was obvious to her now, that things were going to remain the same between them. They wouldn't be as they had been since they were bound. They would be far more separate, she could already feel him pulling away from her. All the progress they had made would now be erased. Angry, she began setting up her tent.
"Sakura-chan?"
Her breath hitched, and she paused as Naruto's hand came up to her shoulder. That was it. She broke. He caught her as her knees buckled and held her close as her sobs came. It was just so overwhelming, she couldn't hold it in. Her heart felt like it was breaking.
Across the camp, Sasuke tensed. It pissed him off to no end that he had upset her as much as he had, but he knew there was nothing he could do at the moment. He felt a slight pang of jealousy at the sight of Naruto holding her, and an even bigger pang of guilt at the fact that she was shaking with each sob.
Oh, how he hated tears. Completely lost to himself, he stalked off into the forest, leaving Sakura and Naruto alone.
Naruto frowned, disliking the whole situation. As he rubbed light circles into his best friend's back, holding her close. She bit her lip, trying to stifle her tears and the noise she was undoubtedly making, but it didn't work and the will to try harder evaded her. In fact, she sobbed even harder as she heard Sasuke leave the campsite.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered, smoothing her hair over with one large tanned hand.
Sakura only leaned into him, her eyes trained on the trees into which the man she had given so much to, had disappeared.
He knew she would be there, which is why he made his way back into the forest. Karin sat waiting on a low tree branch, and she grinned at Sasuke when he came into view.
"I knew you'd come back for me. Did you kill her or should I?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "We're not killing her."
Karin's eyebrow went up, she was obviously surprised at the annoyance in his voice, "Aw, but Sasuke, she'll have ANBU after us before we get out of The Land Of Fire."
"I'm not leaving."
"I don't think it's a good idea if we stay," Karin frowned, "The hooker looks like the jealous-type."
"Stop calling her that," Sasuke spat, more angry by the second, "You need to leave. Get out of my sight."
"Sasuke-kun," Karin cooed, "You don't mean that."
But he did mean it. With everything in him, he wanted her gone. She was the source of everything gone wrong. She had put him in this position.
"Leave."
"No!" Karin jumped down from the branch, landing in front of the dark haired avenger, "I won't leave without you! I've put too much time and effort into this to lose you now. If you won't kill that little bitch, I'll do it myself."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, bleeding red with his sharingan, but before he could take action, her form disappated into the wind, which carried it away. Sasuke's heart beat increased as he jetted towards the campsite.
"NARUTO!"
Within seconds, Naruto appeared in front of him, out of breath, "What is it, Sasuke?"
"You left Sakura by herself?!" He was seemingly panicked now, and Naruto's eyes widened.
"Why!?"
But Sasuke didn't answer, he was already boosting towards the two chakra signatures a few yards away. He burst into the clearing seconds later. Sakura was sitting with her back to him, acting as if she was completely unaware of Karin's blazing chakra signature just to her right.
He opened his mouth to shout, but just then Sakura turned, catching Karin's swinging foot in her grasp and chucking the girl half way across the site. The red head landed in the pit of dry wood, knocking it over loudly and making a ton of noise. Angrily, she stood up and stalked towards the pinkette, who stood and faced her opponent.
"What. Do. You. Want?" She hissed, jade eyes blazing, "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"
"Excuse me?" Karin asked, feigning confusion, "I think you're the one causing all the fricken problems for everybody, Pinky."
"Oh," Sakura scoffed, sniffling slightly. She looked up at Karin, annoyed amusement shining in her eyes as she spoke with a touch of hysteria in her tone, "Explain to me how that's possible."
"Well it doesn't help that you're willing to spread your legs for other girl's men!"
The pinkette's jaw almost dropped off of her face.
"EXCUSE ME? I'm willing to spread my legs for other girl's men!? HA! Who has a girlfriend that is even remotely close to me in that way, Skank, cause I don't know of anybody!"
"Sasuke-kun, obviously!"
"SASUKE DOESN'T HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!"
"YES HE DOES. ME!"
Sakura let out an uncharacteristic snort, "Oh please."
"ASK ANYBODY!"
"Hey Sasuke," Sakura's eyes narrowed as she painfully forced the name out of her mouth. She still managed to make it sound somewhat sarcastic, "You got a girlfriend?"
"Yes, I do."
The pinkette snapped around, her eyes tearing up before she could stop them, "What? Are you serious?"
"TOLD YOU, HOOKER-HAIR! Sasuke and I are perfect for each other."
"Actually," Sasuke spoke again, his eyes fixed on Sakura, "I was talking about her."
A light smirk graced the youngest Uchiha's face, his eyes dark with tired amusement. His hair waved a bit with the light breeze that feathered over his skin and he turned his face up to the sun, giving the light color of his skin a slight glow. He was beautiful. Both girls watched as his hand raised upwards, and with the crook of his finger, singled out Haruno Sakura, Head Medical Ninja for The Village Hidden In The Leaves.
With a loud squawk of, "NO!" Karin lunged forward, hands out in front of her landing in a heap in front of Sasuke.
Sasuke stepped over her, placing himself in front of the medic, and stood there, eyes locked with hers. Gently, he reached his arm out, palm up, revealing the intertwined clan symbols that were seared into the soft skin of his wrist. They were darker now, the marks, revealing the symbols better. After a moment, Sakura held her wrist out and they clasped forearms, tattoos touching.
It was like an electric shock.
Eagerly, he pulled her in and kissed her harshly. They could sort everything out later. She could demand answers later. He could explain himself later. They could do everything else later. Much later.
After all, they were….bound.
(: