Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Past Midnight ❯ Burden ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: For those who are confused, don't worry because everything will be slowly revealed. There's going to be a lot of flashbacks so kinda be patient with me. There's going to be a lot of them, gotta love those flashbacks.

 

Enjoy the second chapter!

 

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Messy was the only word the three ninjas first thought of when they walked into the Hokage's office, that or disgustingly disturbing. Upon seeing their shocked expressions Shizune quickly apologized over and over again while Tsunade casually took her seat by the tall windows as if nothing was unusual.

 

Piles of paperwork were scattered across the office, empty cups of either sake or coffee laid by the mahogany desk, rings of coffee cups stained the floor and the large desk, and the smell of tobacco lingered in the air. Kakashi had no doubt in his mind that the leader of his village either had a party the day before in her office or she just decided not clean for a very long time.

 

Pinching his nose in disgust Naruto emphasized his dislike with childish faces, pouting, and rolling eyes. Many would have thought that he would have grown from his childlike behavior after seeing so many gruesome things in war, but apparently some people never change. Although coming back home had somehow felt like a big part of his life had come back together, home brought out the child inside of him, it had been too long since he could be carefree and immature.

 

With an eyebrow twitching, Tsunade felt her blood pressure skyrocketing and urge to kill rise upon seeing her future replacement as Hokage acting like a five year old.

 

Immature idiot!

 

She cleared her throat to get his attention and when she noticed he was still surveying the room she swiftly threw the nearest object she could grave, which was a stapler that hit him right between the eyes. Sasuke watched from the other side of the room satisfied and highly amused with the curses Naruto was expertly saying under his breath.

 

“I don't know about you, but I would like to get back down to business,” she growled, “any objections?”

 

The teary eyed Naruto simply nodded, calloused hands doing their best to sooth the pain from his forehead, Sasuke and Kakashi merely shrugged from their positions in the corners of the room. With a frustrated huff Tsunade began the meeting.

 

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The sound of the child's sobbing echoed through the empty depts of the dark, lonely forest. Her small high pitched wailing and poor attempts at stopping the ongoing hiccups that bubbled from her bruised lips caused any creatures that were strolling by to pity the poor lost soul.

 

A scrapped little knee with blood that trickled and smeared down her small leg, a new dress torn and heavily wrinkled at different places, and a bright red ribbon that hung depressingly down a head full of pink hair.

 

Another day of getting beaten up and taunted by a group of older girls, being left in the forest and then slowly limping home to a worried mother who would scold her for not standing up for herself. At this point her eight-year-old mind just wanted to end everything, to crawl into a hole and die. It was certainly better than what she had to endure each single day from her bullies.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

Startled by the husky yet gentle voice she whipped her head towards the young man dressed in an ANBU uniform kneeling in front of her. She put her small hand on her chest to contain her pounding heart from escaping her ribcage, the boy before her had scared her from her grief with his sudden presence. His onyx eyes peered at her with much concern, but his face was void of any emotions. She nodded and brushed her eyes as hard she could to stop the falling tears, but to no avail.

 

Sakura tried to give him a reassuring smile to prove that she was alright so she could be left alone in her misery, but the boy simply sighed when he saw her tears continue to roll down her reddened cheeks with a big fake smile plastered on her face. He shook his head and thought of how much of a fool the little girl looked. She gave a surprised squeak when she felt the young man's arms around her suddenly, picking her up from the soft ground. Shyly peering at him she noticed he was giving her a stern look as if to challenge him to put her down, slowly Sakura settled in his grip since it seemed he wasn't going to let her go.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

He had asked her that same question many years later, fifteen years later to be exact.

 

Their second encounter was much more different from the first one, but there were still some factors that stayed the same. His voice was still husky, although it was much lower and rough just like a grown man, and the gentle tone of it was still to her surprise present. Who would have ever thought that Uchiha Itachi still had a soft spot even after murdering his clan in cold blood?

 

She was still on the ground, but a numbing feeling was slowly engulfing her body. Inch by inch Sakura felt her body slowly become cold and lifeless, she could no longer feel her legs. The constant ringing and buzzing in her ears drowned out all the sound around her and she was unable to hear the brooding man's conversation with his partner, but she was certain it had something to do with her. She could barely see his face, hidden away by the large cape that hung over his body and she could only make out the bright red clouds that blended so well with his black cloak.

 

She whimpered when he pulled her clothes over her body, covering her bare chest that was stained with crimson blood. Her body was covered in wounds that were seeping of blood and cuts that penetrated across her porcelain skin. She was thin and was bleeding profoundly, pink hair slowly becoming bright red, torn clothes soaked and sticking to her gaunt skin.

 

He brought his hand up to her face, carefully avoiding aggravating bruises or cuts he softly stroked her cheek and noticed that her once dark emerald eyes were now a pale washed out green.

 

She couldn't see him now that her vision was limited and she didn't want to see him, she even cringed at the idea of opening her eyes for him, but his touch was so warm and inviting unlike to cold hard floor she was laying on.

 

What you cannot see is not real?

 

So she kept her eyes shut hoping that the murderer in front of her would disappear. But when his touch lingered longer on her skin she prayed it was just her imagination playing a cruel joke on her.

 

“Sakura.”

 

Startled, Sakura woke from her reverie when she felt the evening sun burn her face. Bringing her small hands to her face she massaged her temples to ease the oncoming migraine she would soon get. Rising from her current position by the window she shrugged the robe she was wearing, crumpling around her feet she stepped aside and carefully made her way to the small bathroom where she knew a warm bath awaited her. A fresh set of clean clothes hung on the towel rack and a neatly folded towel sat by the tub.

 

She never questioned his motives. She didn't need to. He was there when she needed someone. Whether it was a craving for physical contact or someone to just have and call as your own.

 

He was taking care of her and for the love of her life she did not know and could not understand why he would do such a thing. He could have just as easily killed her as easily as he could coax her into his bed at night.

 

Tonight…

 

Her traitorous thoughts trailed away from the bath in front of her to him. He would be here some time during the night. She could not get rid of the image that he so effortlessly imprinted into her mind. His heated body on top of hers, his mouth whispering her name, rough hands touching her where he knew she was aching.

 

“You are mine…”

 

He would growl the same thing into her ear each time he would make Sakura his own. Of course the little love bites he left behind were also a silent reminder of his territorial markings and a fact that had her eating up inside for the past year…

 

She had gone too far and she could not do anything about it without getting herself hurt or others hurt in the process. She had easily caved in when Itachi took her in.

 

But of course her imprisonment did not help either, it only caused her to welcome his embraces and fevered kisses with no conscious and no regrets. Locked away for months with no human contact, with no way of escaping slowly broke her mind. She had begged him for weeks to let her go, she cried and she did everything that was she capable of doing in her condition. But he would always pet her head and stroke her luscious pink hair as if she was a mere child until she fell asleep, crying sorrowfully in the arms of a man she was scared of.

 

Shaking her head from her unpleasant thoughts she dipped her foot into the water, contently sighing when the water seemed just perfect.

 

The warm water soothed her aching body and eased her troubled mind.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

“Wow…wow, wait a minute, what?!”

 

“You heard me,” Tsunade calmly exhaled, “I want you two to retrieve Sakura.”

 

Beautiful blond hair shining with the sun's afternoon glare, one pigtail hanging over her shoulder and cascading over her revealing bust, face set in a cold façade, but wise brown eyes weary and old.

 

She was feeling guilty, extremely guilty.

 

A perfectly laid out plan, every capable ninja involved that was available, the strongest and the smartest, the best of the best, most sent to their deaths. Those who survived the mission quickly retired from ninja duties due to severe injuries or trauma. Had it not been for Shizune and Jiraiya's help Tsunade was certain that she would have lost her mind the first time she found out that the pink haired young woman, the one she loved like a daughter, was amongst the missing bodies.

 

She would visit Sakura's grave everyday, empty of a body, yet filled with lost hope of ever seeing her prized pupil. The one girl she saw before her very own eyes grow into a fine young woman even with all the tragedy she endured, smart and strong in many ways. The one girl she cherished with all her heart, pride swelling as she called Sakura her own…

 

Her daughter.

 

And she had prayed every waking moment that Sakura would come home limping through the grand gates of the village grinning like an idiot, embracing her and cockily rubbing the sore wound in Tsunade's ego that she was very capable at being a strong leader amongst her comrades.

 

“You worry too much, Tsunade-sensei, you'll get wrinkles. I'll be back…”

 

Sakura had given Tsunade her best cheeky smile before she left, ignoring her pleas and worries as she made her way with her comrades to battle that was impossible yet possible of wining, but with many sacrifices.

 

“How…I mean, what happened?”

 

Brought back from her thoughts Tsunade focused her attention to Naruto who was shaking in his seat. Fear, anger, who knows what it was, but it was certainly making her guilt triple in size as his gaze turned cold.

 

“I take it the news of Orochimaru's death reached the battle fields were you three were stationed?”

 

No, it can't be!

 

Sasuke inched closer to Naruto, who had loudly jumped from his seat knocking over his chair and noisily slapping his palms down on Tsunade's desk.

 

“Was she involved?!” he growled each single word through gritted teeth.

 

Tsunade's somber gaze lingered on Naruto before she nodded slowly. Eyes widening he threw his hands to his face, rubbing it hard, trying his best to hold back his tears, then grabbed his gold hair in an attempt to keep his cool. Sasuke did not know what to say or what to think. Surely Sakura was smarter than that, to accept a mission that would lead her to her death.

 

Not unless she was craving to die, to follow her parents fate.

 

“She accepted the mission as lieutenant. I argued against it, but she wouldn't listen to me. She's just so stubborn like that…” she choked a tearful sad laugh.

 

“I declared her dead after six months of no trace. I—”

 

“WHY?!” Naruto shouted angrily, “Then why the fuck didn't you tell us about this?!”

 

Her hands were shaking eyes glistering with unshed tears. Shizune quickly went to her side, rubbing her back trying to ease Tsunade's pain and burdens.

 

Almost immediately after shouting at Tsunade did he feel guilty; Naruto had never seen her break down like that before not even in the face of death. She was a strong woman and Sakura's supposedly death had left her very vulnerable, all of her precious people were slowly getting killed in battle.

 

“I'm sorry,” he muttered darkly, although his apology sounded more like a question.

 

Wiping her puffy eyes, Tsunade gave him a sad grin as she slowly reached into her drawer to retrieve a scroll where she carefully placed it in Naruto's hands.

 

“She was spotted several times this month at different villages up north, all the information in this scroll.”

 

Sasuke and Naruto nodded and then quickly left the office without any goodbyes to find their last teammate. Tsunade watched sadly as the two men disappeared from her vision.

 

“Bring her home…”

 

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A/N: Yay another chapter, and a lot more flashbacks that will probably have everyone super confused.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. ::sobs::