Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Road Less Travelled By ❯ Are You Still Sasuke? Recovery in the Forest ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2 - Are You Still Sasuke? Recovery in the Forest

 

The sunlight warmed Sakura's body slowly as it spilled into the cave, bringing her to wakefulness. At first she resisted consciousness, before the memories of the previous day came crashing into her.

Sasuke-kun!

She sat up quickly and looked beside herself to check that he was still there. All she saw was Naruto, sprawled out, slowly drooling onto the floor.

Eww. Stupid Naruto, you were supposed to be watching out for us. For Sasuke-kun… She looked up panicked. Oh no. What if that Orochimaru came back and took Sasuke-kun while we were all sleeping? What if he's doing something even worse because of that seal? Her hands flew to her mouth as her imagination ran away with ideas as to what Sasuke might do, covered in the black marks of the seal.

“Good morning, Sakura.”

Sakura squinted into the light, and was rewarded by seeing the silhouette of Sasuke against the light streaming in. “Sasuke-kun. Thank goodness, I was so worried.” In her head, she continued her rant at Naruto, and how careless he'd been falling asleep when they were counting on him.

Sasuke nodded to her slowly. “I'm still here. Come outside. I want to talk to you.”

To me? Sasuke-kun wants to talk to me? Sakura's heart felt like it skipped a beat, and she drew herself up slowly, trying not to delude herself too much. Confessions of undying love would be nice, but there's never been one yet. Although… the whole `almost died' thing might've made him reconsider how much he cares for me. That's probably it, and he's just being shy. She stepped out into the sunlight, and saw Sasuke move slightly away from the cave entrance.

“We should let Naruto sleep.”

As her eyes adjusted to the light, Sakura could see dark rings under Sasuke's eyes. “Why? The idiot goes and falls asleep, leaving us unguarded, and then you take his place instead of waking him up. You're so generous, Sasuke-kun, but it's not good for you, you've been through a lot.”

“Have I?” Sasuke sat slowly indicating that she should do the same. “I don't remember.”

Sakura did as Sasuke wanted, kneeling in front of him. “All the more reason Naruto shouldn't have left you to keep watch. You need your rest, Sasuke-kun, you're not well. That Orochimaru…”

“Enough.” Sasuke cut her off quickly. “I told Naruto to sleep. I wasn't about to again last night, and he's the only one out of us capable of fighting for now. It was a wise decision to make.”

“But…” Sakura looked at how worn he seemed. I've never seen him so bad, so tired and sore. “Sasuke-kun… why couldn't you sleep?”

Sasuke shuddered slightly. “Dreams of the past, blankness in the present.” He moved a hand over the bruise on his neck. “I don't know what that guy did to me, but I think it's permanent. Naruto says that there're marks like my sharingan under the bruise.”

Sakura nodded. “It formed just after he bit you. I hoped that it would heal as the bruise that came later would.” She looked at her hands, folded into her lap. “Sasuke-kun… Why did you go so far? What reason did you have to do that to that man?”

Sasuke closed his eyes. The sound of bone snapping, a man screaming… why can't I remember? He let his hand drop, and looked at Sakura. “Sakura. I don't remember anything after he bit me. Tell me, what did I do?”

“You… don't know?” Sakura was confused. He'd spoken to me before attacking the sound ninjas. Does he really not remember? I know that he didn't sound right, talking about revenge like that, but… “You can't remember what you said to me?”

Sasuke looked angry. “I just said that, didn't I? I really can't remember. I've tried, and all I get are a few sounds. If I thought I could remember by myself, I wouldn't even ask you.” He tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his neck, which seemed to have started again.

Sakura paused, trying to find the best way to explain it, while still calming Sasuke. “The things you did… It wasn't you, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her choice of phrase. Wasn't me, Sakura? Who else could it have been?

Sakura pressed onwards with her explanation. “Your chakra felt huge, but dirty somehow when you woke up, and you seemed faster and stronger than ever.” She touched the ends of her shortened hair. “You saw what I had done, and demanded to know who had hurt me. You looked so confused and angry, I didn't want to tell you. Then one of the sound ninjas said that he'd done it.” She shivered. “Your face just went totally still as you looked at him. Then those marks glowed and started to spread. I was so afraid…” Sakura trailed off, almost crying at the memory.

“Tell me what happened!” urged Sasuke, paying no attention to the pain that the memory was bringing Sakura.

She sniffled a little. “You saved us, you know. That sound ninja tried to kill Naruto and me, but you carried us to safety in a flash. Then you went after him, like we were taught. You beat him. But… you didn't stop.”

Sasuke nodded for her to continue, dread winding itself deeper into his gut.

“You pushed him to the floor on his knees, grinning, pulling his arms back and with your foot on his spine. You tortured him, and then snapped both his arms.”

Sasuke winced. So the screams I remember… were caused by me. “Sakura…”

“How could you do that?” She was becoming more and more upset. “How could you do that to someone and not remember? How can someone's pain mean so little to you?”

“I…” Sasuke couldn't meet her gaze. “I don't remember, Sakura. I don't know why I did what I did.” To someone I didn't know, anyway… Inflicting pain for no reason is… He shuddered as Itachi's face rose unbidden in his mind. I'm not like him. I'm the one who's going to stop him. No matter what.

“Oi, oi, Sasuke.” Naruto came sauntering out of the cave, hands behind his head. “Why are you upsetting Sakura-chan, hmm?”

Sakura wiped at her face angrily, trying to remove the evidence of tears. “It's nothing, Naruto. We were just talking.”

“Oh?” Naruto looked at her carefully. She was crying. Obviously Sasuke said something nasty to her. I'll get him for that one day. “Talking doesn't usually end like that.”

“Shut up Naruto,” said Sakura. “You don't know anything about this.”

Sasuke rose to his feet in one smooth motion, looking at Sakura. “If we're done here, I'd like to rest a while. Keep careful watch in case someone tries to take advantage of us.” He turned to Naruto. “We still have a long time before the exam finishes, and we need food. You're the most rested of all of us, so it makes sense for you to go foraging.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk back to the cave. “Don't be too long or we'll waste time and energy trying to find you again.”

Naruto resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at Sasuke's retreating back on the grounds that Sakura might hit him.

“Enjoy your nap, Sasuke-kun,” called out Sakura, before biting her lip slightly and looking around for a good vantage point to keep watch from.

Naruto tried to bob round into her view. “So… what were you talking about with `Sasuke-kun', hmm?”

Sakura looked down. Telling Naruto something like that would violate Sasuke-kun's trust in me. He obviously would've told Naruto if he'd wanted Naruto to know. “Nothing. Just what we're going to do now we're back to the start with only one scroll.”

“Was it what those tadpole marks made him do?”

Sakura froze. “How… How do you know about that? You were still asleep.”

“Oh, Sasuke couldn't sleep,” explained Naruto. “We talked for a bit about what happened while I was sleeping, but he said he couldn't remember. I guess it was something pretty bad if all he could remember was screaming and you begging him to stop.” He scratched his head. “It's the only thing I can think of that would make you so upset. You really are worried, huh?”

Sakura nodded. “Terrified.” `I must obtain power no matter what, even if I must let the devil take hold of my body' was what he said. Was that really just the seal talking, or does he really believe in his revenge that strongly? Who could he want to kill so much? His brother? “Naruto, what I saw yesterday wasn't Sasuke-kun, but a demon wearing his face. I just wish I knew what Orochimaru had done to him. What kind of `gift' it was.”

“Yeah.” Naruto clutched a hand over his stomach slightly. A gift like I have? A demon that wears a human face? Naruto shook himself. “Hey, I'll go do as Sasuke asked, find us some food.”

Sakura smiled weakly at him. “Try not to get poisoned mushrooms this time, hey?”

Naruto grinned back. “Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I know which ones are the bad ones now. Later!” He sprang up into the surrounding trees, and was gone, leaving Sakura alone again with her worries.

Sakura drew closer to the cave where Sasuke was sleeping, drew her kunai, and waited. After all, this time if I call for help they'll hear me. And Sasuke-kun is sleeping, not in a fever. It's not the same. But that knowledge didn't really make her feel any better.

 

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Guilt for doing something to Sasuke was an alien concept to Naruto. Usually causing Sasuke a mild amount of discomfort would've brought him great glee, but now it was time for Naruto to wake him to take his watch, he was reluctant. After all, he still looks like crap. At least he doesn't seem to be having nightmares again. Naruto scooted close to Sasuke. “Oi, Sasuke?”

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he sat up, wide awake. It was a skill Naruto envied, as it always took him almost an hour to be functional in the morning, and even longer if he was running low on sleep.

“My turn for the watch?” he asked.

Naruto nodded slightly. “Yeah.”

Sasuke drew himself up, and moved to take Naruto's place at the mouth of the cave. He paused there, then sensed that Naruto wasn't settling to the ground to sleep. “You should sleep, Naruto. We need to start moving in the morning. We've wasted too much time here.”

“On you you mean?” asked Naruto.

“Yes.” Sasuke looked out. “Both you and Sakura were recovered today. But it was at her insistence we stayed.” I hate pity.

“She's just worried about you, Sasuke.” We both are, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna tell him that. “We don't know about what that Orochimaru guy did. Maybe… maybe we should drop out of the exam.”

Sasuke turned back to Naruto, anger in his eyes. “No. I'm not quitting, not after I've come this far.” If I quit now, I'll never be stronger than him.We've learnt a lot from this already, how much more will we learn in the third exam? “And if we quit now, how are you going to get to Hokage? You'll have to take the written exam again.” Sasuke turned away so Naruto wouldn't see him smile. If you want to get Naruto to do something, a stick works better than a carrot.

Naruto spluttered. “Oh hell no. We're gonna pass this, and I'm gonna ace the third exam, no matter what!” Besides, I can't take that exam again! I don't remember anything from it!

“Sure.” Sasuke stretched slightly. “So you agree? We need to start acting like something other than kids training. We need to start to act like ninjas. First, we need to be in as good condition as possible. We're going to have to fight to get one of the remaining heaven scrolls.”

Naruto nodded. “Well we're doing okay on the whole sleep thing about. I know I've gotten plenty, and so has Sakura-chan.” He purposely left the implication that Sasuke hadn't hanging.

Sasuke nodded, and looked at his still-bloodstained pant leg. “We can't do anything about the injuries we've picked up until the exam is over. Likewise any weapons or equipment we've lost.” He sighed as he realised what was left. Food. And Naruto keeps trying to poison us whenever he does it. We need something with a higher number of calories than just vegetable matter. “Naruto… how do you feel about trying to hunt? We need food.”

“Hmm? Why not just eat leaves and fruit and stuff?”

Sasuke gritted his teeth at having to explain something that should have been an easy deduction to make. “We need something to provide us with a lot of energy. As the exam gets closer to finishing, we won't have time to gather anymore food before the end, so we need to get as much as we can now.”

“Oh.” Naruto closed his eyes, thinking hard. “Haven't seen anything we could hunt around here. Just bugs, spiders and snakes and I bet none of those are tasty.”

Sasuke closed his eyes, drawing to mind the map of the training area that they'd been shown just before the exam started. “There's a river. We have to cross it anyway, and it may well have some fish, which will be easy to kill and cook.” He opened his eyes again and looked at Naruto. “Did you happen to find the river today when you were foraging?”

Naruto shook his head. “But it can't be too far. The whole area is only ten kilometres across. And we've been pretty still for the last few days.”

Sasuke nodded. “Sakura couldn't have moved the both of us far, it was a pretty hard area to defend that we woke up in.” He looked out into the forest again. “So tomorrow we'll fish, get enough supplies to last through the exam.”

“Okay!” said Naruto, flopping down onto the ground to sleep. Mmm… be just like steamed fish ramen, without the ramen. Or the miso. Hehehe… here fishy-fishy-fishies. He paused in his thought. “Oi, Sasuke?”

“What is it?” Sasuke didn't sound annoyed or anything, so Naruto pressed onwards.

“How are we gonna catch fish? We don't have any fishing poles.”

Sasuke looked thoughtful, then smirked. “If you're prepared to co-operate, I think I have the solution.”

 

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Naruto cracked his knuckles. He thought he was the original Naruto, so that gave him the right to lead the squad of four kage bushin, all dressed in nothing but boxers into the water. He grinned. “Kage bunshin! Fish catching version!” With a whoop he led the group into a dive off the cliff and into the river.

Crapcrapcrapcoldcoldcold! Naruto opened his eyes, and was rewarded by the flashing silver of fish swimming through the river water. He swam after them, driving them upstream towards where Sasuke was waiting, and grinned as he saw some of them starting to leap out of the water. That's right fishies. Jump high so Sasuke has a chance of hitting you. With all that's happened, he might not be such a good shot any more. He heard several thuds, muffled by the water, and so dropped the technique, and surfaced, spluttering for air.

Sasuke stood on the river bank, kunai in hand. “That's three Naruto. Can you keep at it a while longer?”

“What? Why?” asked Naruto, shivering as a breeze blew past his wet skin. “There's three of us, and three fish. Perfect symmetry.” He moved towards the bank.

Sasuke scowled. “I told you last night, dumb-ass, this is our last chance to get food before the exam is over.” He shrugged. “Unless you feel like wasting time we could be using to get the scroll in feeding yourself.”

“Okay, okay.” Naruto dragged himself out of the river. “I'll go back downstream and do it again.” You owe me for this, Sasuke. You get the easy job. I don't care about any weird marks if it means you get to push me around.

“And Naruto?”

Naruto tried not to growl as he turned back to face Sasuke. “What? What am I doing wrong?”

Sasuke blinked a little, surprised at the complaint. “Nothing. You're carrying out the task exactly as I asked.”

Naruto started walking off again. “Well then, don't complain.”

Sasuke watched him leave, thinking. Serves me right for even thinking of thanking him. Of course it's nothing but insults and complaints from him. He looked at the fish still pinned to the tree across the river. But I suppose giving him the largest fish would be fair. After all, he's using more chakra in this fishing than I am. He shook himself as he heard another loud splash from downstream. And me asking him to go again because I screwed up isn't really an option.