Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Wasted Years ❯ Ch. 12: Unforgettable ( Chapter 12 )

Wasted Years

by Mizerable

Ch. 12: Unforgettable

* * *

This may have been a mistake.

Arriving home last night, or what she assumed was last night, her mind had been reeling. One might even say it was disturbed, unstable. But that being the case, she didn't think when she tore away the scarlet ribbon and unraveled the scroll. Time froze and raced and spun all about her and she probably couldn't recall even how to spell her name. All she could recognize was each character painted on the scroll being burned into her mind.

She knew she was a great deal more powerful than she had been, though waking up on her bedroom floor left her feeling less than splendid. Her body was stiff and aching, her mind disoriented. It took a great amount of effort to even begin collecting her thoughts as she tried to accept the truth of what she had brought upon herself. Meanwhile her hand came up to absently wipe away the drying blood from under her nose. Even though she now had a great deal of new chakra churning inside, it mostly was making her feel sick more than anything else. Perhaps that old gypsy woman had chosen the wrong scroll for her. If it was too powerful for the limits of her body to sustain…

The sudden knock at her door startled her from her thoughts. "Sakura? Your teacher is here," her mother said from the other side.

There was no time to think about this now. Hopefully Kakashi wouldn't notice her change. She wasn't ready to reveal it yet.

She wasn't ready to accept the consequences yet.

Sakura came down the stairs and Kakashi wasn't surprised to see her in such a disheveled state. Though something felt very off about her. There was a suffering that went beyond the usual with her. Granted he expected she would be broken up over yesterday, but there was a new burden that he just couldn't place.

And once again, he had bad news to give her. Though he got the feeling if he told her right at this moment, she would be absolutely devastated. It would be best to ease her into this mission, since she would have to see him again…Kakashi decided to at least be upfront about that.

"Sakura, a mission has come up…I know it will be difficult for you but it will require Sasuke's help. Will you be able to handle that?"

"It's a mission, right? Of course I can't turn away from it," her voice fell like dull metal against his ears.

So she was finally shutting off her emotions in order to perform as a shinobi…Kakashi never thought he would see the day when that happened. Though given the circumstances, it would be suicide if she didn't start now on this mission while with that person. Neither exchanged a word after that and traveled to Sasuke's old home in complete silence.

Just as Kakashi raised his hand to knock, he placed his hand on the door and slid it open. The door was unlocked? Both he and Sakura drew their kunai before entering. Room after room, they found nothing amiss but found no Sasuke either. Finally arriving at the bedroom, Kakashi carefully pushed it open.

"What the hell are you doing?" A somewhat drowsy response called out to him. Sasuke was still in bed? Kakashi seemed to recall he was always the one up by dawn and now he was still in bed well after sunrise?

"You left the door unlocked," Kakashi explained and entered the room, hazy light finding its way through the rice paper windows. Sasuke was on his back, propped up on his elbows and staring at his former teacher with mild irritation. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow though when Sakura appeared in the doorway. He certainly didn't think she would have her act together enough to face him after yesterday. He supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised, since she took any opportunity she could to see him back then. It's not like she changed…

He couldn't exactly say that now. Something was very different about her in comparison to yesterday and he wasn't sure he liked it, either. She didn't look any different from yesterday. Soft features, slim body, all rather feminine. He could easily enough admit to himself that she was easy on the eyes, just as she had always been. Though no one but Yanagi could probably get that fact out of him. Still, something about Sakura was telling him she probably did something rather stupid after they met again.

Sasuke was staring at her rather intensely and it was making her feel rather uncomfortable. Why did he have to do this to her? Her cheeks were burning and maybe another time she would have been flattered. But she still wasn't feeling so great and Kakashi's silence was making her nervous. Why did he need both her and Sasuke for this mission?

"Sensei, you said there was a mission," Sakura stated, avoiding eye contact with Sasuke. The idea of fighting seemed much more appealing than catching Sasuke's eye, and some part of her recognized it was the result of the scroll. Not her heart.

"Yeah, there is one," Kakashi answered gravely, "And we need you for it as well, Sasuke."

Sasuke got out of bed now, making no argument over participating. Sakura couldn't help but let her eyes wander now. It was rude of her to do so, but she had rarely ever seen Sasuke with his shirt off back then-

"Oh my god…" she whispered, her hands covering her mouth to hide her shock. There was such a horrible scar in his side, about the size of a small fist with one long gnarled finger splayed out over his belly. What gave him such an awful wound!?

Sasuke picked up his shirt and realized both Sakura and Kakashi were staring at him. Hard.

"…What?"

"Where did you get that scar?" Kakashi asked coolly.

"Where did you get the scar on you face?" Sasuke countered. He knew his teacher wouldn't pursue it now. Kakashi never wanted to talk about where he got his Sharingan eye and the scar that came with having it implanted. He wasn't about to start talking now. It was none of their fucking business how Sasuke earned his injury anyway. Nobody ever likes talking about how they messed up and got wounded, unless they were Yanagi.

Which reminded him-

"Will she be needed as well?"

"Ah? No…Details are still sketchy and we haven't been able to confirm yet if the Akatsuki is even involved in this matter," Kakashi replied. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this. Why was he needed then? He wasn't a Leaf shinobi any longer and was only here to fight the Akatsuki, not to take on other asinine missions.

"Why am I necessary then?" he inquired.

"Early this morning, without a sound…Somehow Naruto was abducted."

"What?" Sakura gasped. Naruto was…? But he's so powerful. Who could be strong enough to subdue him? And furthermore, why him?

"And you're sure of this?" Sasuke asked humorlessly. After fighting Naruto, it didn't seem possible that he would just be taken so easily. And there was no way that loud-mouthed idiot would go about anything quietly, especially getting kidnapped. God that sounded so ridiculous…

"There was…blood in his apartment," Kakashi explained, noting Sakura's pained expression.

No! I swore I'd protect everyone! I wasn't going to let the people I care about be taken away from me anymore!!!

"So you want us to find him," Sasuke stated blandly, "In case you haven't noticed, I don't really have time to go looking for him."

"Oh, I guess I should clarify things a bit," Kakashi announced rather dryly, "You're just going to escort Sakura. She's the one who will look for him. After all, if you do get any trouble from people strong enough to take down Naruto, I'm sure they'll keep things interesting for you."

"Sensei-" Sakura felt a little insulted that Kakashi didn't think she could handle whatever it was on her own. If it was this kind of mission, shouldn't they just send out the Anbu anyway? This seemed incredibly stupid. But Kakashi waved her off. End of discussion.

Sasuke was about to voice his own protests but the steel of Kakashi's glare made him pause. "You aren't in any position to argue. If this is how the village wishes to use the Aohi in order to defend itself, you have no choice but to follow our orders." He scowled at that but chose not to fight it. If Kakashi wanted to force inane duties on him, including fighting someone apparently stronger than Naruto…

Perhaps this wouldn't be a complete waste of time.

Crouching down, Sasuke shook the lump of blankets rolled up on one side of the futon. "I'm leaving," he stated. Moments later, a rather disoriented Yanagi sat up and she stared rather dumbly at him.

"Wha…?" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, slowly gaining consciousness.

"You sleep like the dead, Captain," he pointed out mildly, receiving a couple blinks in response, "And cover up."

Yanagi finally acknowledged that there were other people in the room through her grogginess. This was the nicest bed she'd ever slept in, inside the nicest room she'd ever slept in. Luckily those two visitors weren't trouble. Both she and Sasuke knew that if they had been a threat, Yanagi would have likely killed them at the front door. But since she slept through their arrival, they weren't strong enough to even show up on her radar. No worries, then. At least a couple people wouldn't be a bother here. Though that Sakura girl's face looked as if it were about to fall to pieces while watching her. It sort of made her wonder why.

"You got a problem, girl?" Yanagi asked, lighting up a drag. Hmm, that seemed to startle the poor little thing. It was just a simple question.

"N-no, ma'am," she replied quickly.

"Well, shit…You're callin' me 'ma'am', too? I dunno who's worse: you or Uchiha," Yanagi stated flatly before giving her arms a good stretch above her head. Now where did she leave her clothes…

Kakashi hadn't been very surprised by this. He knew something had to be going on between the two. But that wasn't what was standing out right now. He admittedly had been caught off-guard by Sasuke's horrible scar. He reallyhadn't expected the girl's body to be so badly damaged. Anyone who fought as a shinobi was bound to earn a few scars along the way, some even as bad as Sasuke's. But it was rare to ever see something as terrible as Yanagi's body. And now that Sakura's initial shock over Sasuke's relationship was wearing off, it seemed she, too, noticed the scars. If those weren't enough, being able to visibly see all the bones beneath her skin completed the image of a troubled woman.

"So where you headed?" Yanagi asked, tugging her netting on.

"Naruto got kidnapped," Sasuke replied more gravely than he expected to.

"Naruto…That Hunter-nin kid? Damn, he's pretty strong though," Yanagi declared aloud, "Hell, he's gotta be if he survived fightin' a psycho like you."

"You always have a way with words," Sasuke mused, almost sincerely.

"What? It's true. It ain't everyday a guy's able ta crucify me, ya know," she answered, holding up her bandaged hands for emphasis. Sakura blanched at that. She didn't know Naruto had done something like that to another person. She didn't know Naruto was capable of doing something like that to another person.

"You let him," he retorted blandly.

"…Aa."

Sakura felt jealousy burning in the pit of her stomach while watching the two. They were just so casual with each other, so open. And from the look and sound of it, the Aohi captain was incredibly powerful. Would Sakura's new strength be enough to compete with a woman like that?

Who was she kidding? Nothing she did would matter now. Sasuke obviously had a deep relationship with this woman.

"How much time got before y'all gotta bail?"

"We don't really have any time to spare, for obvious reasons," Kakashi answered bluntly.

"Not even time for a drink?"

A drink? As in liquor?

"It's not even ten in the morning yet," Sakura grumbled. How the hell could anyone even think about drinking during the day like this, especially at a time like this?

Yanagi raised her flask to Sasuke. "For your nerves," she clarified. He rolled his eyes but didn't refuse the quick drink, surprising Kakashi and Sakura alike.

"I won't be able to keep an eye on you for a while, Captain. Try and keep the body count at a minimum for once," Sasuke reprimanded and hoisted his gear bag over his shoulder.

"You givin' me orders now, boy?" Yanagi drawled, sounding a bit suspicious.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he answered nonchalantly and headed for the door.

"If your hands start shakin', you better just keep your cool."

Otherwise you won't be able to use your curse seal without killing yourself. I won't be able to watch over you today, either.

He gave a curt nod and was about to depart but Yanagi wasn't finished just yet.

"And Uchiha?" All eyes were on her now, huh? Well wasn't that just friggin' flattering… "We don't got a lotta time. Don't screw around out there."

The three left silently afterwards and Yanagi flopped back down on the futon, her unbound hair fanning around her. She doubted those two Leaf shinobi noticed at all, but the tension between herself and Sasuke was almost sickening. He'd been so withdrawn since yesterday and she couldn't exactly blame him for it. No matter how much he let go of himself or how much stronger he became during their time together, he hadn't yet mended the wounds surrounding this place. She imagined it must be pretty damn hard for him and egging him on about it wasn't going to fix things. Last night only served to confirm the suspicions she held over the last three years.

* * *

After an extensive amount of silence that afternoon, Sasuke quietly insisted she be fed. They had a silent supper at a small restaurant that was actually willing to serve them, unlike most other places that refused to do so. Then he brought her to his former home, which no one had touched over the years. Maybe everyone feared that they, too, would succumb to the tragic curse of the Uchiha clan if they stayed in such a place. Regardless, Yanagi hadn't anticipated being brought to such a splendid place. She had never been to such a nice house before.

It was all well and good in spite of how somber he seemed. After being with him for so long, surely she could find away to keep his mind from such negative thoughts. Not being the type of woman that knew a thing about words, she could only take action. A few hard kisses seemed to do the trick at first. But the distance was growing and she could feel it more acutely now. Not sure what else to do, she let him have control. Whatever kept his head sane. Well, sane enough.

Sasuke's kisses became soft, almost timid, as he gently laid her down against the futon. Things were slow and mild, something they never bothered with before. It was pleasant, too pleasant in her opinion. They helped each other survive but they were not exactly kind to each other. But the only word she could find for last night was "tender." He'd been tender to her and it aggravated her a great deal after it was all over.

When they finished, he lied against her while she cradled his head against her chest. His breath was warm against her, his damp skin held a silver sheen beneath the creeping moonlight. Her fingers idly swept his hair aside while her mind mildly craved for liquor to dull the pain in her hands. In the silence, he tensed against her suddenly before recomposing himself and drifting into sleep. Yanagi didn't need to know what he was thinking and for once she didn't care to.

She would never know that three years ago, Sasuke had woken once in this very bed with another girl secured safely in his arms. It was a memory he repressed a great deal of time ago but after seeing her again, and then finding himself back in this old room in his old bed, she crept like summer breeze across his mind. Unexpected and quietly. He hadn't wanted to see her again.

He didn't want to remember.

He tried to forget her again tonight, just as he had tried three years ago. But it wasn't of any use. What he'd done was futile, if not a little foolish. He was pretty sure Yanagi realized it as well.

* * *

"Idiot."

Still staring at the beams of sunlight painted across the ceiling, Yanagi ran a hand through her hair in disgust. Even though she had the best night's sleep of her life, even though she woke up for the first time without the stabbing pain of hunger in her belly, something within was filled with a profound ache that she was certain no physical comfort could quell.

This had been a last time.

* * *

"That's pretty bold of you to say," Jiraiya was rather incredulous

"I hardly doubt my feelings on this matter are out of line," Hinata replied, "It makes no sense to send anyone but the Anbu on this mission."

"I have every intention of sending as many squads as necessary, though if Kakashi feels the extra help will be useful-"

"They will only hinder our work. Tell Kakashi to call them off. I, of all people, know that Sasuke Uchiha is not to be trusted with such a mission," Hinata declared, her voice cool and even.

Jiraiya knew Hinata wasn't the type of shinobi to hold a grudge. If she was getting a bad feeling about Sasuke, perhaps she was onto something. After all, he saw the shape the Sasuke and Naruto were in when they returned to Konoha. They had fought hard against one another, even willing to kill each other. Maybe…

"Are you sure you're up to the task? You are recovering from a pretty bad injury."

"I can function perfectly well in my task. Furthermore, as I was the one who discovered his disappearance, I feel it would be best if I saw this mission through to the end."

Hinata wasn't about to admit to anyone that she only knew because she and Naruto got drunk, had a fling, and that she had been unable to wake up in time to save him because of a strong genjutsu used against her. She also didn't want to add that she knew Sasuke could likely rise to the occasion and help save Naruto. But it would be worse than killing Naruto by having his pride so badly injured through needing Sasuke to help him.

Furthermore, the pain between Naruto and Sakura needed time to fade. There would be tremendous hurt and guilt on both sides if they met under such circumstances. Also, Naruto being as honest as he is, might blurt out what happened last night. Hinata herself needed to sort things out still. The last thing anyone needed was for this tangled web to be filled with even more pain.

With a sigh, Jiraiya realized he wasn't going to win an argument with a hardened Anbu soldier like Hinata Hyuga.

"Fine, you're on the job. Though if that Uchiha punk became anything like his captain, telling him 'no' probably won't keep him from doing a damn thing."

"Probably not," she remarked dryly, "Thank you, sir."

With that, Hinata was gone from his office and off to find Naruto.

Jiraiya almost felt sorry for whoever took the kid.

Almost.

* * *

Water dove down the wall before hitting the floor over and over again with a resounding splash. It was a miracle he could focus enough to notice it though. Though if there were ever such a thing as mercy, he would be fortunate enough to pass out and wake up in a warm bed when this was all over. Another spasm of shivers ravaged his body, making the metal that bound his wrists behind the chair bite into his sensitive flesh again. His eyes started to drift shut and he gladly embraced the sleep before something hard caught him across the temple, snapping him back into delayed alertness. Only now did any warmth present itself as it raced sticky down the side of his face before splattering against his bare chest.

"Regrettably, I need for you to stay awake." It was a cold voice that commanded him. Naruto decided he didn't like that voice.

"For…what?" Naruto choked out.

"There is something inside you that is very precious. I need you to give it to me."

"You don't have…a very nice way of asking…"

With that statement, something burned strongly against his stomach. Against his seal. He bit his lip with a substantial amount of blood now dripping down his chin just to keep himself from crying out. It felt as if something were being ripped out of him, as if everything inside him was floating up to just beneath the skin and was about to boil over. Everything inside felt scalding hot and he just wanted this over with. He didn't know how much longer he could keep the damn fox at bay if things continued like this.

His head was suddenly yanked back by the hair, forcing him to only look up. In the pitch- blackness, it was hard not to focus on the crimson glowing in the dark. He couldn't avoid the Tsukiyomi Sharingan.

"For the next 48 hours, you will experience all the loneliness and rejection this village heaped upon you."

Monster!

It's your fault so many died!

He has no family. It's no wonder he's such a freak.

Go away!

You're so annoying…

Who would ever acknowledge you!

All the pain he'd known in life was inflicted all at once, that horrid feeling then dragged out over two days. Two days that in reality was less than two minutes.

Naruto couldn't hold back his cries this time.

* * *

"I've gotta have the worst luck in the world," Shikamaru muttered as he adjusted the fasteners on his vest. First he gets sent on an insane mission, then he has to trek all the way back here to fight a terrorist group, and now he was getting sent out to find that idiot Naruto. "This is such a pain in the ass."

"You better come right back after you find him. Otherwise I'llbe hunting you."

She didn't sound too happy, not that he could blame her. Staring into the mirror, he was obviously watching her reflection instead of his while she got dressed. There were no words when he came back, not that it would have mattered. Ino wasn't the type of girl to ever take "no" for an answer.

Not that he would have ever said no.

Deep down inside, Shikamaru knew she wasn't really angry. But she was never any good at showing her worries. So she covered it up with irritation. If he called her on it though, then she really would get pissed. Ah, the irony…

"I'm gonna come back, you know," he stated, turning to face her.

"Of course you are!" she answered in her typical haughty fashion, crossing her arms over her chest for added effect.

"Wanna walk with me to headquarters?" Obviously she was going to say yes. Hell, she would have probably invited herself anyway. Though it still sent shivers up his spine when she took his hand, her features softening.

* * *

This was awkward.

What was Kakashi thinking? Putting the two of them together like this…

He barely gave them any information before he took off to handle his own work and so far, they hadn't turned up much about anything. Though as soon as most people saw Sasuke, they refused to be of any help at all. On top of it all, Sasuke had barely spoken a word anyway. Now standing on the bridge where Team Seven would meet everyday all those years ago, Sakura fought hard to ignore the stab of nostalgia. But she really couldn't take this anymore. Even if it hurt, she had to end this bitter silence.

"What is Captain Yanagi like?" her voice came out a little softer than she intended, "Is she a nice person?"

"Hardly," Sasuke answered dryly as he fished through his pockets for his cigarettes, ignoring her startled reaction. Why the hell did Sakura have to try and spark a conversation? About Yanagi, no less… "She didn't seem so terrible," Sakura's voice was small.

"She's a murderer. A gruesome one, at that," Sasuke replied and took a generous drag.

"Why do you stay with her then?"

"She's not a nice woman. I never said she was a bad one."

"Do you love her?"

She hadn't meant to blurt out such a personal question. That was horribly rude of her. She couldn't say she knew Sasuke anymore, especially after seeing him so comfortable with that woman today. She had no right to ask him.

"I'm sorry," she added hastily, "It's none of my business."

Sasuke silently observed her, letting the tobacco burn his throat. Now that she accepted the reality of his return, he could notice while her feelings were evidently still quite strong for him, she had become rather subdued as a person. Back in their younger days, he imagined she would have immediately seen Yanagi as a rival and would probably try to bicker with her just as she had with Ino. Her maturity and his absence left her personality rather bittersweet it seemed.

As he pondered her question, his mind was drawn to last night with Yanagi. Beneath the filtered moonlight, he watched her beneath him. Sometimes she could really be quite appealing. To look at. It was a slow, quite evening with slow, quiet sex with Yanagi; the sort of things they wrote about in idiotic books. They were things Yanagi could never read about. Even in a place that was so familiar, even with the woman he trusted so dearly…

"No…I don't think I'm even capable of such feelings."

"Eh?"

Sakura hadn't expected an answer, least of all one so honest.

"Does-does she know?"

Sasuke could feel the smallest of smiles itching to form. Sakura should have been happy to know he wasn't in love with that woman, yet she was suddenly concerned for that very woman's own heart. Presuming Yanagi hadn't killed that, as well.

Sakura really was too sweet for her own damn good sometimes…

"There's no delusions between us. It's just sex," he replied, taking note in Sakura's dissatisfaction with his somewhat crass answer, "She's hasn't had the easiest of times. You could say she's a bit of a comfort creature these days."

It seemed like Yanagi led a rather excruciating life. Judging from those wounds, she obviously did. It was sad to know people had to suffer so greatly, and most likely, alone most of the time. A woman like that probably needed Sasuke more than she did, whether they loved each other or not.

"You must have learned a lot from her, about the world…"

"Yeah," Sasuke answered, stubbing out his cigarette against the grain of the bridge. Sakura could tell he obviously didn't want to talk about her anymore. They should probably get going, even though they had absolutely no clue yet as to where Naruto might be. It was gnawing at her, adding to an anxiety she tried to hide with stupid questions.

Sakura was a nervous, flighty girl it seemed. God knows what she was thinking happened to Naruto. Though knowing that idiot, he was probably just fine even if he got roughed up a bit. Though now that she was upset again, he couldn't see any but it felt as if she were emitting some sort of bizarre and powerful chakra. What did that stupid girl end up doing yesterday?

"I'm not sure what you did to yourself but you better be able to handle it."

"What makes you think I did anything?" she had to play it cool. She didn't want him being suspicious.

How could Sasuke know?

What could he see that was so different about her?

"I could never forget the way you feel."

Sakura's face flushed and she had no words for him. There were no words to describe what she felt at this moment, the way her heart was swelling. "Sasuke-kun," she whispered. With everything going on inside because of him, coupled with the effects of the scroll, it felt as if she might faint at any time.

Why did he have to leave again?

"When this is all over, why can't you stay?"

He shouldn't have kept talking to her. It was just making things more complicated. She wouldn't understand why he had to leave with Yanagi again, anyway.

"I owe Yanagi a great deal," came his reply, "For all the trouble I caused her, I can't just abandon her now."

"Did she save your life?"

Sasuke nodded as the memory of waking up on that stiff mattress while she bound his wound cycled through his mind. "She taught me to control the curse," Sakura's face brightened when she heard that. She had always been dreadfully afraid of the curse seal. But considering what it made him do to her back then…

"Because of her, I was able to survive so that I may exact my revenge against that man."

"Itachi," she murmured with a shudder. With Sasuke's return, it was hard not to recall the times surrounding his departure three years ago.

Sasuke blanched now. Sakura knew. After what happened to her back then…She probably knew everything about his past now and he wasn't happy about that at all.

"Is he the one…Is he the one that gave you that scar?" her hand trembled as she reached towards his side.

"…Aa."

"I'm sorry," she whispered while she rested her hand over fabric and wound, "If I'd been strong enough back then, I could have helped you defeat--"

Not that you ever would have accepted my help.

"It wouldn't have made a difference. The gap between myself and him…" He knew the truth but it was a lot harder to admit his weaknesses to her than to Yanagi, "I wasn't able to win then. If Yanagi hadn't shown up when she had, I would have died. Because she was strong enough to fight him then, she made me strong enough to face him now."

"Yanagi-san is that powerful?" Sakura asked in amazement. How could Sasuke not love a woman who could defend herself against someone like Itachi?

"She's just stubborn," Sasuke mumbled, his hand now resting on top of Sakura's. He stared off into the distance for a long while, apparently lost in thought, still pressing Sakura's hand against his body.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"We should get going."

* * *

"Do we have confirmation?"

"That's an affirmative."

"Roger. Prepare to infiltrate," Hinata tugged her mask down as she and her fellow Anbu circled the long since abandoned building carefully hidden among the trees.

To be continued…