Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ How Long It Takes ❯ To Starve ( Chapter 5 )

Yaaaay new chapter before I leave Canada! I honestly didn't know if I was going to finish this in time but yay I did! Haha. I'll have a looong bus ride to work on the next chapter though, so expect a new chapter soon! Thanks to Dreamergirl92813, SakuraXSasuke121, shadow miko, HalfBloodPhoenix, freakhorrorchick, and sayachimaera for the reviews!!! ^_^

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“Go ahead…I want to forget.”

 

The man's grip tightened around her neck as she lay motionless beneath him, his weapon hovering just above her chest. She knew she would run into a nin at some point. She knew this moment would come and that she should fight back. But she couldn't do it. She just wanted everything to fade, to melt away into this never ending darkness. Her fingers moved slowly, rising to touch the skin of his face, desperate to ground herself to something real in this world. He was hesitating.

 

“Can't you do it?” Her voice was pleading, coaxing him to make the fatal blow that lingered somewhere above her. She heard his sigh, feeling the way his grip loosened, his stance slacking. Her grip moved to his neck, grabbing tightly when he began to move away.

 

“If you can't do it…” Her voice was darker, a scratching sound that vibrated from her throat. Her fingers flexed against his skin before chakra surged through her system. His body dropped, five fingerprints were burned into her skin as she pushed the now limp body off herself before standing to leave. “Then you are of no use to me…”

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“Make me forget….please.” She whispered softly, begging him to end this torment. Her friend was dead, her sight was gone. What kind of human was she? What did she have left? Her fingers trembled as she clutched his shirt tightly, trying to make out his figure in the blinding light; blinding to her sensitive eyes at least. “I don't have anything left anyway…just make me forget it….even if its just for a while.”

 

Kakashi sighed softly, lifting a hand to run gently through her hair. Three years since he had seen those glowing eyes. In all his dreams of finding her he had never expected this. Never thought there would be a day when her eyes were clouded with loss and hurt. He shifted, reaching down to pick up her forgotten head band before looking into her eyes once more. Silently he retied the protective piece around her head, even as she trembled and tears began to leak from her eyes. His lips dipped down, kissing the salty drops from her cheeks until they ceased. “You haven't lost everything, Sakura. You still have Naruto and Sasuke. You still have all of team seven. You still have me.”

 

His arms wrapped around the figure that had launched itself into his arms, a gentle kiss placed on her forehead. It would hurt. Everything would hurt for a while. He knew what it was like to try and forget everything. To forget loosing your team or your best friend. The sharingan flickered at the thought before settling again. Obito. It was a name he had tried for a long time to forget but never could let it leave him completely. He knew if he forgot it he would feel even more hallow than he already did.

 

A knock sounded swiftly at the door. Quickly Kakashi recovered his sharingan before helping Sakura stand, both walking to the wooden frame that lead to the outside world. As the door swung open it didn't take long to register a confused Naruto. He didn't know what to feel about the news he carried. Didn't understand if he was supposed to feel joyous or sad.

 

“Kakashi…Sakura-Chan.” Naruto's face contorted in confusion once more, unsure of what Sakura's reaction may be. He was afraid, to put it simply. Afraid that Karin could be re instated to their team and Sakura would be left out once more. He was also afraid that she wouldn't be let back. That Karin could even receive penalties for her crime. He wasn't happy at all with what the red head did, but she was still a teammate to him; a teammate that he didn't know what to feel towards anymore. “Sasuke found Karin…Sakura has been requested to come to the Hokage tower.”

 

Sakura's back straightened her demeanor calm. She wasn't the happy Sakura they used to know. Both mean noticed her new emotional shut down. She wasn't happy or sad. She didn't look like she was anything once she heard that name uttered from Naruto's lips. The only sign of emotion was the clench of her fists at her side, and the small movement of her teeth clenching together. “Then why are we standing here?

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Tsunade sighed, staring at the group before her. Karin looked particularly teriffed standing before the Hokage, her hands tied behind her back as Sasuke stood behind her in his standard ninja gear, an emotionless expression on his face. Sakura beside Karin though she chose not to acknowledge her presence, facing straight ahead with her head held high. Kakashi stood behind her with Naruto between him and Sasuke. Yamato and sigh leaned against the closest wall, unsure of how they should act in this situation. All the men of team seven had no idea what to think. They all loved Sakura, but they had all learned to love Karin too. There was no way not to feel a connection with her after nearly three years of being teammates (AN: Its slightly less than three years cause Sasuke didn't come back right away).

 

“Karin, you know why you're here.” Tsunade began slowly. She was completely sober, though a cup of sake would be the best thing in the world to her right now. Could she go through with this? She knew her decision would greatly affect this team. It would greatly affect Sakura and Karin the most. Two great ninja, one with an injustice done to them and the other…the other having already become part of their ninja community as well. “Under normal circumstances the punishment for this would be death...however there is an issue.”

 

Sakura tensed at these words, her thoughts racing through her head. However? How could there be something else? Kill the girl. Karin caused her nothing but pain. She took everything away from her. Couldn't something be taken from her in return? Panic seized her chest as she waited for Tsunade's next words, her heart feeling as though it would explode.

 

“This…incident occurred before Sasuke and Karin were admitted into Kohan's society. When they were accepted here we agreed to a punishment they have both served. In this agreement we also forgave them of any past grievances. Karin cannot under my law be punished for this crime.” Tsunade finished softly, glancing between the group.

 

Sakura could feel all the eyes watching for her reaction. She could feel the hole in her chest ripping further open as she stood a ninja with no purpose. She was denied the revenge she sought for so long. She was denied the very thing that had kept her going this long. Denied what she had waited for, waiting for 3 years, 2 months, 9 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 58 seconds for a retribution that would not come. Her fists clenched harder, her nails biting into the flesh of her palms, blood dripped to the floor slowly as every one watched her like some animal they expected to charge at any moment.

 

“Karin will remain a part of team seven, just as before. Sakura you have the option to rejoin your previous team or join a new one.” Tsunade listened as Sakura chose team seven. She knew something wasn't right. Sakura had something up her sleeve, but honestly Tsunade thought Karin deserved whatever Sakura was planning. She my not be able to do anything, but Sakura was her own person and could do whatever she decided. She watched as Sasuke untied Karin, who promptly rubbed her sore wrists whilst staring skeptically at Sakura. “As is customary in Kohan tradition I need both parties to shake on it.”

 

Karin timidly watched Sakura, unsure as to what the blinded Konichi would do. Sakura merely turned stiffly to face her, extending her hand in the direction she assume Karin was in. The red head slowly reached out, her fingers brushing Sakura's hand before starting the shake, missing the smirk forming on Sakura's lips.

 

No one knew what to do when Karin hit the ground, her hand sizzling with fresh burn marks the size of finger tips. Sasuke was the first to react followed quickly by Kakashi. Kakashi grabbed Sakura from behind before pinning her to the ground, one hand holding her hands behind her back and the other holding her head to the ground. Her smirk only grew as she watched Sasuke try and wake the unconscious Karin, checking all of her vitals.

 

“She…” Sasuke paled, looking up at a wide-eyed Hokage. “She's dead…”

 

His gaze snapped to Sakura as she started laughing softly at first, only to grow into full out sounds. She shook with amusement under Kakashi before he lifted her from the ground, having tied her hands behind her back now with a rope he constantly had on him. Her laughter was clearly laced with insanity, her figure still giggling as Sasuke tried desperately with Tsunade to revive the fallen girl.

 

SLAP

 

Her laughter stopped abruptly as she stood, head pushed to the side with the force Naruto had hit her with. A bright red, angry hand print instantly spread across her cheek as she spit blood onto the floor. His gaze was a mixture of anger and hurt. Who the hell was this girl? What happened to his Sakura-Chan that would never kill someone? What the hell happened to this world?

 

“You…you..ARgggg” Naruto turned away from her, watching as Sasuke sank back from Karin, watching her lifeless form. How had she done it? In just one touch he had killed the girl with a move none of them had ever seen before. Naruto's eyes began to bleed read when he heard it. The stirring of Sakura's soft laughter behind him,

 

“She isn't dead.”

 

They all stopped to stare at her. Even Tsunade was baffled. She couldn't detect an ounce of life in Karin so what the hell was Sakura even talking about. She looked back down at the lifeless girl, wondering if Sakura really had lost it, and really had no idea of what she had just done.

 

“I'm not crazy.” Sakura's voice was suddenly very serious, her smirk fading into a thin line. Her head tilted to the side as she listened for anyone to ask the question she knew they wanted to know. How had she done it? How had she sucked the life straight from the girl that had been standing fine only a few moments ago? “I simply locked up her life force. She is still there. I could wake her up…but why on earth would I do such a thing?”

 

“Sakura!” Tsunade growled, checking over the red head again. She noticed it this time. It was subtle but there. Only a top ranked medic would ever be able to find it, and only if they knew exactly what they were looking for. But it was too strong. The lock Sakura had placed on Karin's soul…on her life was much too complicated and delicate to try and break. Sakura could tell Tsunade how to, but it was obvious she wouldn't. If Tsunade tried to force it then she would most likely kill Karin for real.

 

“I wonder…” Sakura smirked darkly, feeling Sasuke suddenly appear in front of her, his fingers wrapping around her throat. “How long does it take for her to starve to death?”

 

“Fix it.” Sasuke growled out, tightening his grip as Naruto moved to pull him from him. “Fix it or I will kill you.”

 

“Oh come on now Sasuke,” Sakura giggled softly, making no move to break away from him. “You wouldn't do that. If you kill me she'll never wake up. You need me.”

 

He only growled in response before allowing Naruto to pull him away from her. Yamato and Sai could only watch in horror as the events unfolded, not having much that they could do anyway. Kakashi felt his heart break at the sound of Sakura's insanity filled laugh. She wasn't completely gone…but part of her was. Part of her was lost somewhere and alone, begging for her friends to come back to her still. Begging for everything to go back to the way it was.

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“What happens…if Karin dies?” Naruto asked quietly in the hospital room. It had been ten days. Nothing they did in the hospital worked. The lock Sakura had placed on Karin's life source forced her body to reject all kinds of nutrients and remedies that the hospital tried giving her unconscious form to keep her alive. Sakura had been right. She would starve to death if she was kept this way.

 

“I'm afraid…” Kakashi stated quietly from his spot in the window sill, looking out at the darkening sky. “That Sakura would be sentenced to death for murdering a fellow shinobi and teammate.”

 

The room fell silent as the all sunk into their own thoughts. Sasuke was surprisingly sitting beside Karin's bed, holding her hand as he watched her. He had barely slept these last few days. It was only natural because the woman he loved was dieing before his very eyes. But he didn't know how to feel towards Sakura. Right now she was in a dungeon somewhere, being tortured most likely in order to give up the secret to releasing Karin from her internal prison. Sakura didn't deserve it. He would have done the same thing if he had been given the chance with Itachi. He really couldn't blame her. Kakashi was more reserved than usual, not even bothering with his Icha Icha today. Sai was his normal emotionless self, probably the most confused with how he should be feeling as he sat against the wall with Naruto, neither saying much. Yamato sat near the window, not having spoken to any of them in at least a day. He respected Karin as a teammate and friend…but he could help but feel a pang of guilt at the thought that the really had replaced Sakura.

 

All of them raised their heads the moment the door opened. There stood Tsunade, leading an awful looking Sakura into the room. Most of Sakura's arms where wrapped in poorly done bandages, her limp noticeable as she walked forward with Tsunade guiding her, though she would not allow the Hokage to help her in any other way. Sasuke reluctantly left Karin's side, watching Sakura closely in the off chance that she would try something else.

 

All it took was one touch. One touch started it and one touch ended it. They watched the glow of Sakura's fingers as she reached out to touch Karin's lifeless hand. The moment she pulled back all sorts of monitors went off in the hospital room, recording heartbeats and blood pressure and such things. Tsunade was quick to set up an iv to begin giving Karin nutrients at the red head slowly opened her weary eyes.

 

“How does it feel to almost die?” Sakura whispered harshly, hovering above Karin after her work was done. She had experienced the same feeling. She had hovered on the brink of death all alone in those woods, feeling her body cave in on itself. She wasn't sure how she had survived. Instinct most have kicked in and saved her but those days were a blur to her. “How does it feel to linger on the brink of death and want to die, just to escape it all. I was alone. You had all these people, sitting…waiting for you to come back from it. I had nothing.”

 

Her words shouldn't have shocked them. It shouldn't have gnawed yet another whole into this breaking teams heart. It was the truth. They hadn't stopped to think about it at all. She had been alone for three years, learning to fend for herself. For the first time they imagined what it would like to be left somewhere all alone, without sight…without anyway to function like you were used to. They shuddered at the thought. They hadn't been waiting for her to come back. They assumed she was dead for the longest time until only a year ago when she was finally spotted by someone. Two years. Two years she was completely isolated without hope. Only the need for revenge.

 

“I may have sparred your life but don't think I'll ever forgive you for that.”

 

They watched as Sakura turned to leave, stumbling once but brushing off Naruto's offered help with a cold wave of her hand. She made her way from the room as they all sat in stunned silence, not failing to notice the tears slowly leaking from Karin's eyes.

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Woooo! I think this may have been the longest chapter yet! Not by much…but still…haha! I just finished writing so I could post it before getting on a 25 hour bus ride back home haha. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again for all the reviews!