The Downfall of Us All

Chapter 4: I Sold My Soul to the Open Road

OTP: SasuSaku

By KairiU

Sakura had finally fallen asleep.

She had laid her head down on the side of his bed and her arms pillowed her head. Sasuke sat there for hours starring at the ceiling. Smirking about the girl asleep beside him a couple of times, he brushed her hair so that he could see her. He looked at the clock and it was 5:27 am.

'The Dobe and the others must still be sleeping.' Sasuke thought, he leaned back into his pillow. Closing his eyes he felt sudden warmth. His eyes shot open and he looked down.

Sakura smiled with her tired eyes and held onto his hand, "Sorry to bother you."

"Hn…" He let her hold onto his hand, he had urges to grab her hand back but he didn't want to lose his cool, did he?

Closing his eyes he gave up and allowed himself to grab onto her hand. He felt her pulse jump and rise faster.

He smirked, 'Annoying as ever'

BANG.

The door slammed open, stirring up a few nurses walking by. Not knowing who it was. Sasuke shot up, and Sakura jumped and stood in front of Sasuke.

"TEME Y-YOU'RE OKAY!" Naruto ran into the room and pushed Sakura aside and hugged his best friend.

Sakura folded her arms, but then they dropped to her side.

"G-get off, Dobe!"

"I am so glad your okay!"

"Naruto, he is still trying to rest." Sakura looked at them both. She smiled but she heard other people walking in.

"Well hello." Kakashi got closer to Sasuke's bed side, and then turned slightly to Sakura. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Billboard brow, you need to watch your health, dummy!" Ino hugged her friend, as for Ino she slept like a baby all night.

Shikamaru had pulled Naruto off of Sasuke and jabbed his pinky into his left ear. "Geez, how troublesome. So nosey already early in the morning…"

As for everyone else made their entrance, saying goodbye to the Uchiha and heading back home knowing he was alright. The only ones who had stayed behind were Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai.

They had gotten into a deep

"Sasuke, you are still a part of our team. We have said this plenty of times before," Kakashi calmly said to the teenager. Sasuke lowered his head, and his eyes grew more faded.

"After everything I have done, you guys still manage to care for me still? Ridiculous, just utterly impossible," His teeth grinded against his bottom lip.

The room grew silent,

"Well I am pretty sure Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto have a big reason why they still care for you." Sai blankly looked at Sasuke. He still didn't get the right vibe from him.

Never did, never will.

"Yeah, Teme!"

"Idiots," Sasuke uttered under his breath, it grew more silent.

Sakura fell short and kept quiet. Her reasons for caring still were unspeakable. She couldn't say it now.

"Sakura, you're very quiet. Why don't you say something?" Kakashi turned to her,

She turned away. Her eyes were bloodshot enough as it was. Her eyes stung and her stomach did flips. She was off the edge. Her chakra wasn't even on a good balance.

"I think Sakura-san needs to be in a hospital bed more than Sasuke-kun. You should focus on your own health Sa—"

"Sai I think I know my limits." She darted daggers to him. He fakely smiled and took a step out quietly,

"Indeed I should be heading back and catch onto some sleep." Kakashi stood up, and waved slightly. He walked out of the room.

Leaving Sakura and Naruto beside the tomato lover,

"Nee, Sasuke…" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "You know you're important to us, but I wanted you to know me and Sakura are here for you. No matter what, besides, were all best friends."

Sakura nodded, and looked at Sasuke slightly before he caught her gaze. He sighed, inhaling. "You guys are terribly annoying… Thanks." He smirked slightly, Naruto looked at him surprised. Sakura did nothing in return. He had already thanked her earlier.

"Sure…" Naruto stood up and hugged his friend slightly, Sasuke as usual did nothing back. "I'll be going home now. Sakura I will help you get home," Naruto's mood dropped moments ago. He seemed more calm which scared Sasuke.

Sakura nodded and stood up. She smiled at Sasuke "Bye Sasuke-kun… take care."

"We will be back tomorrow, Teme."

"Dobe…" slurring underneath his breath he watched the two walk away.

'Naruto has grown up a bit…' He let himself fall into the pillows, 'Why would I still care if they wanted me in their lives. I flipped on them, I shouldn't have. They changed me for the better. But I was gone for so long and they still got my ass back here. I always thought of them… I know they think I don't care'

"But I do…" Speaking slightly he pinched the bridge of his nose and thought heavily, 'I even started thinking of them when I was taking showers.' (A/N: I actually had a dream and Sasuke was in it talking about Naruto and Sakura. He said THOSE EXACT WORDS. Yeah… So I put that in here.)

Mentally face palming himself he turned onto his side and began to fall asleep.

'That's enough for today.'

Suigetsu was captured, of course, he allowed the enemy to get a hold of him. Suigetsu was locked up once again and everything in the village was peaceful for days. Sasuke was ready to get out of the hospital, within two days, and go see his old apartment. Grab his belongings and retreat back to the Uchiha clan's mansion.

"Sasuke, we need to go to the Hokage mansion once you're ready to go." Sakura stood at the door, her arms folded in her casual outfit.

"Hn," He picked himself off the bed, detached from everything earlier he went to the bathroom and got changed. After he was done Sakura glanced at him. His black robe and pants were torn from the war. (END OF MANGA CHAPTER 553) He put on a white tank-top with an open collar (like his other outfit) with black pants and wraps around his wrists. His hair fell naturally into his face and he blankly starred at her. Sakura lifted herself off of the wall, and turned around.

But she felt a sudden grip on her shoulder, She turned her head slightly seeing Sasuke was holding his hand against her shoulder,

"What is it?"

"About Suigetsu," He made his stare deeper, "Is he locked up?"

"Yes, now let's head to the mansion. "

Sasuke let go of her and started to walk pass her. She paused then ran up to him and slowly walked beside him, feeling the bliss of silence. He blankly starred and continued walking out of the hospital with her beside him.

Yawn, "Such a drag, I thought I got a day off today."

"Shikamaru, stop complaining. When the Hokage needs you, you don't complain." Shikamaru's mother, Yoshino, grabbed her family's plates.

"Just suck it up, son." Shikaku took a drink of his tea.

"Sigh yeah, yeah…" Shikamaru stood up and walked out of the kitchen.

Opening the door, faintly, he heard

"Have a good day dear!"

He continued out the door and shut it. He stuffed his hands into his pockets,

'That women swing her moods so often… it makes me so irritated. I still don't know why father married someone that demanding.'

Shikamaru continued down the roads of Konoha, following the pathways to the Hokage's mansion. He turned down a shortcut with kids playing with marbles trying to get them into a circle. Others with cards and for the prize for winning was manga books.

"TAG, your it!"

He turned the corner and a child with scruffy black hair ran right past him.

"Hahaha! You can't catch me now Hikaru-san!" The child ran away without watching where he was going.

"Yashi, watch out!" The child turned around and banged into a tall man.

"Ah! Are you okay, dear?" The girl walking next to the man bent over to help the kid up.

"S-sorry…" The child rubbed his knee. The girl removed the boy's hand and healed the wound.

"No, no. It's alright." She finished up and let the child go.

"Thank you!" The boy waved back

"Sakura, Sasuke, where you two going?" Shikamaru walked to the two.

"Oh, Tsunade had called me to bring Sasuke in so she can go over a few things before she… you know."

"Aa." Shikamaru continued walking, "I think I know where this is heading…"

"W-wait, what do you mean?"

"I was called down as well. I'm pretty sure she's going to get me involved with this mess." He kept his hands in his pockets and continued to walk down the street. "How troublesome."

Some of the people they were passing by were still fixing up parts of the village and painting the wooded buildings. The village was mostly built back but things were still unstable. The village was still alright.

"So house arrest for 3 months for now seems well to me. You seem pretty safe enough." Tsunade folded her fingers over another hand. She smirked and grabbed a paper. "Sakura, Shikamaru. You two are responsible to get as many signatures of the people who want to work on this assignment. You need at least seven people, including you two, to be a part of this. One person each day will be keeping the Uchiha company, any questions?"

Shikamaru and Sakura shook their heads. But Sasuke cursed under his breath,

"I think I am fine, alone, Tsunade."

"Hm, sure you are. They are just there to keep you sane." Tsunade leaned back in her chair.

"Now you may escort yourselves out of my office." The three left and stood outside the door.

"So… that means pick out five people, huh?" The two charted a list of people the Uchiha knew. "We at least get to pick one person to stay with you."

"Hn," Whatever. They both handed Sasuke the list of names.

1. Uzumaki Naruto

2. Inuzuka Kiba

3. Rock Lee

4. Hatake Kakashi

5. Sai

6. Yamanaka Ino

7. Hyūga Hinata

8. Hyūga Neji

9. Ten Ten

"So, pick four."

Sasuke erased the people he didn't want, the list looked like.

1. Uzumaki Naruto

2.

3. Rock Lee

4.

5. Sai

6.

7. Hyūga Hinata

8.

9.

Sakura grabbed the paper and jotted down a name that he would never want to see.

"Yamanaka Ino." He glared at the paper. He despised the day he was going to see her.

"Now we have to get everyone to sign it."

An hour later the schedule was set up.

Everyone was asked to come to the Uchiha's old apartment. He wouldn't be staying here.

Everyone would be at his house from 10 am – 4 pm

Naruto-Mondays

Sai-Tuesday

Hinata-Wednesday

Ino-Thursday

Rock Lee-Friday

Shikamaru-Saturday

Sakura-Sunday

"Got it, that's everyone." Sakura shot up,

"Don't worry emo. This is only be lasting 12 weeks of your life."

"Yeah everything will be alright, Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled, and added the suffix in attempt to make Sasuke clear up a bit.

"Hn."

"So… it's Sunday." Ino looked at Sakura, "Have fun, billboard brow!"

Everyone left, leaving Sakura with the onyx eyed ice cube.

"So… should we get your things out of your apart—?"

"The ANBU members keeping a watch on me during these weeks said that they will do it. They want you to escort me to the Uchiha headquarters."

To include, the Uchiha residence area was also destroyed due to Pain's attack on Konoha. They are currently rebuilding some of the buildings in the area. But the home Sasuke once lived in was rebuilt as well. Not exactly the same but it did make enough resemblance. Sakura forced herself to stay happy the whole time and not get all upset.

The walk was quiet, but they finally reached the Uchiha residence.

"So Sasuke-kun… This is it?"

"Hn…" Sasuke walked through and found the area that once was where his old house stood. And now the replica stood in its place.

"It's, really big for a house."

"…" They both walked in and saw that there had been furniture placed in. Sakura saw a note on the back of the door,

"To whoever is staying with the Uchiha,

I had the heart of giving you new furniture.

So you wouldn't have to be sitting on the floor with this man bickering.

I understand your pain, it will be over soon

-Lady Tsunade"

"Where did this furniture come from?"

"Lady Tsunade gave it to us so we could at least enjoy our stay…" Sakura plopped on the couch,

"Sakura, are you going to go get some food, or what?" "O-oh… s-sure!" She got up and started walking out the door with her ninja pouch in hand holding her money.

'This. Is. Going. To. Be. Miserable.'

Yeah… I think that's a good update for now.

I will write more on tomorrow.

Bare with me people! School is a piece of crap right now!

Thank you all my lovely reviewers I hope to get more soon.

PLEASE REVIEW. GIVE ME IDEA'S. I'LL CREDIT YOU!

-KairiU