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Reflections (Abandoned WIP)	By : Tsukineko9 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1227 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Title: Reflections

Author: Cecilia Tsukineko and Kirei Kitsue

Rating: NC-17

Genre and Pairing: yaoi, NaruSasu

Notes: This is our pet project you could say, so the style's a little unique and the effort is huge. ^__^
Author Note: We're baaaaaaaaack. Writer's Block is gone. Hope this makes all those reading this story happy. ^______^ We're going to finish off 'Reflections' here before we move back to anything else we've been doing. We've got a lot of stuff "open" and need to "close" some things before we can move on to others.

Chapter Four - Failure!

Part 1

My heart�s pounding loudly in my ears, my pulse insanely strong and almost completely deafening to me. In fact, my fingers are pulsing with it as I cling to the rock face with all that I have. The Curse Seal�s burn hurts so much my vision is trying to go black, but I refuse to let that monster�s power loose. Actually, hanging like this might not be so hard� if it weren�t for the extra one-hundred-plus pounds hanging from my other hand and all the wounds I�ve already received. And it doesn�t help that my feet can find absolutely no purchase on the looser rock face below my knees. Damn, I would have to grab the cliff with my right hand. I can feel blood from the wound in my shoulder flow into my stretched armpit and down my side, making its way towards my sandaled feet with the pull of gravity and the pulse in my veins.
I�ve got my attacker by the front of their shirt � her shirt I note as I look down at her � and she�s just hanging there limply, staring up at me. I watch with an odd and slightly detached fascination as such blatant emotions roil over her features. First is terror. She honestly thinks I�m going to drop her, not to mention that anyone who went flying off the edge of a cliff like we did would be terrified. I was� distantly, but I still was, though I�ll never admit that to anyone.
Next to flit across her rather plain features is pure resolution. She seems to have reached some form of decision � AH! I jolt and flex, my back arching and my muscles seizing at once, as the Curse Seal flares suddenly. My Chakra wavers with the pain, fading a little. That lack of consistent flow makes me slip and causes my hand to rub raw on the rough cliff rock as I slide downward, before it regains a steady � if weaker � flow. And then a whole new pain explodes through my brain. I�m not even relaxed from my involuntary tensing yet and she�s driving a kunai right into my stomach, forcing my body to curl the other way and nearly doubling me over. I scream again. Who wouldn�t?
My Chakra slips again, and I slide down the cliff face more. My hand�s getting too bloody � torn and tattered by the rockface and bloody to begin with from the other Ninja and my shoulder wound � to grip the stone. I won�t be able to hold on like this forever, and with the amount of Ninja I saw up there, there�s no way one of my teammates is going to make it over here to save my sorry ass.
Fine. I can handle this alone. I see immediately that I have choices at least. I can do one of two things. One: I can let go of this girl and try to climb up, or two: I can toss her up and that will be that.
My vision�s really going black now. There�s no way I could make it to the top of that cliff like this, even unburdened. She�s still stabbing me, panic written all over her face. I don�t really feel the way the kunai slips smoothly in and out of my unguarded stomach now�I think I�m going into some level of severe shock. She seems determined to take me down with her. She really does think that I�m going to drop her. Just because I�m not going to make it doesn�t mean I have to take her down with me. She�s too unprofessional about this to be a true Ninja. It makes me wonder why�unless she was Orochimaru�s tool like so many others. Like me.
That settles it. My arm flexes of its own will, and I bring her up to my face.
�Remember this,� I grind out past clenched teeth. My vision is wavering and fading around the edges. It�s kind of watery actually. I can make out her blurred features freezing in that expression of total surprise that I don�t see directed at me very often any more, but I�m running out of breath and out of time far too fast to think about things like that, so I let my arm drop a little without losing my hold and muster the last of my energy.
Freeing the Curse Seal, my feet finally find purchase on the loose rock of the wall just below my hips, and then I launch her � bloodied arm, bloodied kunai and all. I immediately suppress the Curse Seal, or I try to, anyway, as I fall. The air rushing past me on my way down is like a roar in my ears, and I notice in a rather oddly unconcerned fashion that all the colors are gone. There�s only the blank wall of gray earth rushing past and the colorless, cloudless sky above me.
Everything changes suddenly as I plunge into the rushing river below. The gurgle and roar of the water fills my ears, and its weight fills my already burning lungs. I sink but almost instantly become buoyant, causing me to suspend for a short time while I�m rushed along with the current. The surface of the water above me is shimmery although everything is purely black and white now. Millions upon billions of tiny and not so tiny air bubbles rush up towards that wavering light, but now their roiling sounds are faint. I feel myself start to drift towards the surface, and as my mind withdraws and my vision darkens, my eyelids drop of their own volition.
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The girl hit the ground hard and rolled a short distance before laying still. It took her a moment, but she was up and scrambling for the edge of the cliff in a few milliseconds. Wide eyes searched the space below, but all she could see was the rushing of the water and the blank cliff wall. The enemy was gone. �Unworthy� was what Master would say, but she couldn�t help thinking� for once, Master might have been wrong. She pulled back from the edge of the cliff and stood slowly, trembling. A soft cry drew her wavering attention to the battle.
�Sasuke!?� Sakura shouted, still fighting the enemy Ninja. Junichiro was safely tucked inside the carriage, still the little wuss. �Sasuke!!!� she screamed more desperately when she got no response. She didn�t dare leave her post, but when the girl that had taken Sasuke over the edge of the cliff had reappeared, she�d felt her heart drop to her belly.
�Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke�s�� She couldn�t finish. Two Ninja had appeared before her to fight, and she had to give them her undivided attention if she wanted to survive.
Kakashi had felt a flare of dark chakra just before the girl appeared, landing hard on the rocky ground beside the ravine's mouth. Fearing the worst, he began to fight his way through the enemy nin towards the cliff to see if Sasuke had fallen or not, ignoring a shallow wound in his side. Another flare of even more powerful chakra drew his attention. He watched as a large handful of nin were turned to ash by a thick blood-red cloud, Naruto directly in the center of it. The blond's features had become frighteningly animal-like, but it was the look of fury in his crimson eyes that was the most terrifying.
"NARUTO!!" Kakashi yelled in a commanding tone, just in time to stop the younger man from diving towards the girl that had caused Sasuke to fall. "Stand your ground and fight!" He would not lose two subordinates.
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Bastard!! Sasuke needs my help and you want me to stand my ground?! (What did you hear?! ... A splash?! NO!!) Roaring, I throw the fox's chakra at enemies beyond the ring of death I've already caused. If he's dead, these monsters will pay!! (Yes- yes- hurt- kill-) NO ONE HURTS THE ONES I CARE ABOUT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!
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It was only moments before all of their enemies but the girl were dead, instantly turned to ash by Naruto's rage. Somehow, the demon-holder had managed to not kill his teammates or Junichiro and his entourage. However, Kakashi's clothes smelled faintly of char. Inside the Jounin quaked inside at the sound of Naruto's roar. Beneath the boy's fury was a note of triumph - Kyuubi Kitsune's triumph. (Oh gods...) Kakashi leapt towards the cliff at the same time as Naruto, but Naruto was much faster.
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Nothing. I see nothing. All there is to show he was here is a bloodstain on the cliff-face and the scent of his blood in the air. Even with my enhanced eyesight, I can't make out where he fell into the narrow river below. Dammit!! Where is he?! (Nothing?! You see nothing?! You have to see something!! ... The girl? ... Yes... the girl.) She can tell me where he is. And if she can't, then I will avenge Sasuke now instead of later.
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Sakura ran to them and slid to a stop catching up the front of the girl�s shirt and forcing the quaking girl to look at her. �What. Happened.� She made sure to emphasize it. Made sure to speak slowly. The girl was clearly in shock and probably wouldn�t be very coherent, but she might know exactly what condition Sasuke had been in when he�d saved her. That would tell them right then if he was either alive or dead, or if he had the chance of making it to shore. The girl looked at her with huge, vacant eyes� and then suddenly, they focused.
�He was holding me! By the front of my shirt! I thought� I thought he was going to drop me! I wasn�t told to do this, but I thought that if I had to go� I was so scared,� she moaned like a pitiful creature that had its soul torn out as she rushed to confess. �I didn�t know what to do, so I just started stabbing him. I didn�t want to die. I didn�t want to die alone. The blood was everywhere! Everywhere! Oh, gods! Ohgodsohgodsohgods��
Sakura looked the girl over. She was unharmed. That meant all of the blood on the girl�s body was Sasuke�s, and she was covered in it. Sakura felt her bile rise as her hands released the girl�s shirt as if they�d been burned. The girl fell to the side and curled up still blubbering. Sakura covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes welled with tears. �Gods�� she whispered softly, trembling. Sasuke was gone. It was hopeless. Her breath was coming faster and she couldn�t see anything in a world that watery and blurred.
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The fight was over. Junichiro could tell that much. Slowly, he opened the door of his carriage, only to immediately shut it again when he caught sight of Naruto. A cold sweat born from fear broke out on his forehead and he winced as the smell of urine lifted to his nose. (That creature lives among our ninja?! If it reacts like that every time it's angered, it's a danger to Konoha! To all of the Fire Country! What was that old woman thinking when she assigned it to my entourage?!) He immediately began thinking of ways to have Tsunade removed from her position of Hokage... and to have Naruto destroyed.
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Stabbed him... She stabbed him... Red dances at the edge of my vision. (The stomach? You're sure? ... Yes, I smell that. Bile in the blood. His bile. ... Yes, she will pay. Like the others.) My hand shoots forward to grab the whelp by her neck and I lift her high, dangling her like a doll. Ignoring her struggles, I demand in a rough voice, "Where did he fall? WHERE?!"
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(He's losing it... Shit, this is not going to end well.) Afraid that Naruto was going to end up killing the girl, Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the pain as the demon's chakra burned his palm. (Does he even realize the state he's in?!) "Naruto, put her down," he said as calmly as he could. "Sasuke saved her, and did so for a reason. Don't make his loss meaningless by killing her." As much as Kakashi was loathe to admit it, there was little chance that Sasuke was coming back to them. To fall from that height into cold water with a severe abdominal wound and after losing so much blood, only someone like Naruto would have had a decent chance of survival.
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...Damn it, he has a point. I slowly let the little maggot down onto her feet and let go, ready to grab her again if she even tries to run off. "Where did he go?!" I demand again, bearing my teeth in a snarl. (Be quiet!)
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�He-he-he just fell. I didn�t see. He said �Remember this� and then threw me. I didn�t see. I didn�t see where he fell. I didn�t even hear him hit the water. He just fell.� The girl continued to stammer and repeat herself more quietly, holding her head and shaking back and forth as she sank to her knees.
Sakura took a deep breath and glared at the girl, grabbing a hold on her wayward emotions in an instant. She felt numb suddenly, the sensation coming so completely out of no where that she didn�t know what to do for a moment.
�We need to find him. He is Uchiha Sasuke. He won�t die that easily.� Her voice was calm and smooth, and although her cheeks were still wet from the tears that had escaped in the beginning of her panic attack, her eyes were now clear and dry. �I will stay with Junichiro and his entourage. I don�t believe the commander of these Ninja will come back right now. We�ll move on a decent way so that we are not a sitting target and then wait. Kakashi-sensei, you and Naruto will go find Sasuke and bring him back to this family. Now.�
She got to her feet and dusted her knees off as she spoke. Sakura would defend that carriage and its contents, and two of the four most important men in her life would bring their brother back to the three of them. She lifted her eyes to look each of them in the face directly, her teal gaze burning with the will she�d put into the words. Sakura would not have it any other way in that moment.
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My snarl grows when she calls us a family, but we don't have the time to argue about details. (No, no eating.) The most important thing right now is getting Sasuke back. And I will bring him back! Without waiting for another word, I dive toward the ravine. The forgotten hand on my shoulder stops me and I glare at Kakashi-sensei over my shoulder. (No! I said no eating!)
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Kakashi stood firm in Naruto's crimson glare. Every instinct was screaming at him to remove his hand and run as far and fast as he could, but he refused to listen. Naruto was one of his students, and he would not let Naruto die while searching for Sasuke, which he surely would at the rate he was releasing chakra. His outward appearance calm - inside he was shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm - Kakashi looked to Sakura again. "Yes. Move the entourage to a defendable location and wait for us there. If we don't return by dawn, leave without us. We'll catch up." His gaze fell to the sobbing girl. "Tie her up and take her with you. She cannot be allowed to go back to her people."
(Now I just have to calm Naruto down.) Returning his attention to the snarling young man, Kakashi stated, "We'll teleport down to the bottom of the ravine and look for Sasuke. We will stay within sight of each other. Understood?"
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Stay within-! I can move twice as fast as he can and he wants me to stay in his sight?! Bastard! Unbidden, the fox's charka flares under his hand and finally he pulls back. I can smell burnt flesh as I take the opportunity to jump. Serves him right. This time I make it into the ravine.
Blood. The scent is everywhere. (Can you- Which way? ...) Following the fox's lead, I run along the narrow bank of the river. Sasuke, be alive!
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"Damn!" Kakashi hissed, cradling his burnt hand to his chest. Naruto had completely destroyed the palm of his glove and the top layer of skin.
Sakura stared at the ledge Naruto had leapt from for a moment and then turned to Kakashi-sensei. �Are you alright?� she asked softly. It was only now that she had truly looked at Naruto that she realized how far from normal he was. She supposed that she had always realized subconsciously that the demon in Naruto was the demon that everyone feared; however, it was something she�d never thought about consciously however. Now, she was forced to look at reality, and in reality Naruto was dangerous.
"No. Heal this quickly, before an infection sets in," Kakashi ordered, holding out his burnt hand. The flesh was an angry red wherever it hadn't been burned black. Thankfully, he still had a layer of muscle over his bones. (I have to go after him before he completely loses himself! Gods, this trip has just been one mishap after another.)
With a curt nod, Sakura stepped forward, folded and refolded her hands into a series of seals, then cupped her palms together, saying softly, �Chiyute no Jutsu [Healing Hands Technique].� A small ball of healing Chakra swirled to life between her palms, and Sakura reached forward, cradling Kakashi-sensei�s palm between her own. She was quiet and focused as his hand began to heal, but as it was nearing full restoration she murmured, �Be careful, Kakashi-sensei. Please.� Her eyes were tired and sad as she looked at his completely healed hand, watching the false light of the Chakra dissipate as she dispelled it. Team Seven never got a break� the thought was plain on her face.
Nodding, Kakashi pulled off the remains of his glove and shoved them into a pocket. "Thank you, Sakura. Tie the girl up and get moving. Remember, leave without us if we're not back by dawn." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, understanding the look in her eyes almost too well, and then disappeared.
Sakura stared after him for a moment, feeling as though she were being left behind as she had felt so often in the past. But she had a mission. Turning to Junichiro�s entourage, she commanded, �One of you bring me some rope. The rest of you set up Naruto�s horse for this girl. She has to answer for what she�s done.�
Turning to the girl, Sakura stooped and pulled her up by her elbow. The girl was, thankfully, no longer a blubbering mess. Sakura didn�t think she could have tolerated that any longer than she already had. Her patience was frayed to nothing. Dragging the listless girl beside her, she met the servant with the rope halfway and tied the girl securely. She finally settled the child on the horse and tied her to the saddle. It wasn�t safe to do that with a horse, she reasoned, but if the girl died because it, then it was her own fault for what she had done to deserve such treatment.
�We�re moving out now,� Sakura ordered and stepped up into the carriage to check on Junichiro. The scent of urine did little to surprise her. �You�re unharmed?� she inquired shortly.
"Where are the others?" the lordling demanded, sitting up straight to look down his nose at her. "If they are not restraining that monster, tell them I command it."
Sakura�s back stiffened at Junichiro�s lofty attitude. �The others, Junichiro-san, are looking for Sasuke, who was taken over the cliff�s edge by that girl we just tied to the spare horse. We�re moving on so that we are no longer a sitting target. Kakashi-sensei and Naruto will catch up with us when they find him. I advise you to wait to change your pants until we reach a more defendable location,� she answered. It was rude and a little petty to take a stab at the little bastard�s ego, but she was in no mood for propriety at the moment.
Climbing out of the carriage before Junichiro could say a word, Sakura mounted her own horse. The servants had tied Kakashi-sensei�s and Sasuke�s mounts to the back of the carriage and the last servant handed Sakura the reins to the horse that the girl sat on. �Let�s go!� she commanded and everything lurched into motion. Sakura kept her senses open for warnings, riding alongside the carriage on the side that Junichiro sat closest to so that she could reach in and pull him out if necessary. It was going to be a very stressful trek to the next stop.
It was hours before they found a location where so many people could be easily defended by one ninja. Junichiro, very sore from the ride that had taken them over rough terrain, stiffly climbed out of his carriage to watch his servants set up camp. ...In a tomb-like cave. "Ninja!" he demanded, calling for Sakura. He was not in the mood to bother with names. "What is the meaning of this?"
�Your safety,� Sakura answered him without standing and coming to him. She did look up from fixing a small fire, however, to make sure that he had heard and to check their surroundings with a quick glance as she had been doing frequently. There was no point in truly trying to hide their location. The enemy already knew where they were. It was just a matter of whether or not the enemy would choose to come after them. The pink-haired kunoichi turned back to arranging the wood for the fire.
"And we are not continuing why? It is only mid-afternoon. If you are truly concerned for my safety, we must get back to the Fire Country." He ignored the servant standing behind his shoulder, waiting patiently to deliver whatever message he'd been sent to give.
�We are not moving on because I cannot defend you if we are out on the open road. We will wait until Kakashi-sensei and Naruto return and then we will continue to the Fire Country. However, Kakashi-sensei ordered me to continue without them if they haven�t returned by dawn,� Sakura answered and finally stood. When they needed the fire, the pit with its wood would be ready to ignite. She turned and nodded to the servant. �Go ahead.� She didn�t care what else Junichiro had to say. She would not budge.
Bowing in thanks, the servant whispered something into Junichiro's ear that made him frown. He followed the servant to his large tent, not emerging for another hour, now in a fresh robe. Motioning a servant to him, he commanded, "Bring the kunoichi to me."
Sakura entered the tent nearly an hour after the summons. She was dirty, sore and tired and no little bit heartsick. She was worried. Naruto and Kakashi and Sasuke were all in danger in many multitudes of ways, and here she was, babysitting a spoiled lordling. �What is it?� she asked curtly, picking sticks, twigs and leaves out of her short, messy hair.
Junichiro decided to ignore her shortness for now. "When your companions return, I insist that the monster be immediately restrained and kept that way until it is turned over to the Hokage. I will not tolerate another loss of control from it. If it destroys anything of mine or of any of my servants, I will refuse to pay any of you."
The hand in her hair stilled, and Sakura lifted her gaze to meet Junichiro�s directly. It only took a moment for her to recover herself. She wasn�t sure how or why, but his words had completely stilled her. �How dare you?� she accused. �How dare you say that about the man who just saved your life, mine and the lives of all of your servants? You ungrateful little brat! Naruto is not the monster here. You are! The whole damn village is! I � am. We�ve made him this way!� That deeper realization hurt more than any of the wounds she had yet to tend to.
"Have we?" he stated calmly, making a mental note to reduce her pay by half for insulting him. "A demon is a demon, and I have tolerated its antics for too long. You will restrain it when it returns. That thing is a danger to our country and our people. You may tell the demon that if it puts one toe out of line between here and Konoha, I will personally see to it that it is destroyed. A threat that large to the safety of the Fire Country cannot be allowed to exist."
"And who do you think you will order to destroy him?!" Sakura snapped. "Will you do it? Do you even know what is inside of Naruto?!"
"Kyuubi no Kitsune," Junichiro said, thinking Sakura to be a fool for not knowing. "After what I saw this morning, it is safe to assume that the demon is no longer inside it as it is the demon. And demons must be destroyed."
Sakura slapped him without a second thought, hard enough that her palm stung and the sound echoed, even if only in her own mind. "Naruto is not an �it,� you little bastard. He is as human as anyone except for maybe you!"
A quick flick of his wrist brought two swordsmen out of the shadows, the points of their swords against either side of Sakura's throat. "One more word from you and I will have your hitai-ate taken away." Junichiro's eyes were hard with fury. Never had anyone dared to strike him, and for such a felony he could easily have demanded Sakura's head.
So there had been fighters in amongst his servants all along. A quiet fury overtook her and she let her fists clench at her sides. Silently, she sized up her opponents. She could have taken them both out easily, but she was not here to pick fights on her own. Sakura let her eyes drop back to Junichiro. "You may think that because of your parents you have so much sway, but it is the Hokage that rules the Village of the Leaf. You may think that your money buys you the best, but you cannot buy the loyalty of a true Shinobi. Your swordsmen are cowards for standing back and watching when they were needed. I will complete my mission. Paid or not. And when this is over, you will be the one to have consequences to deal with."
She smiled, just a small upward turn of one corner of her mouth, and then there was a consuming cloud of Jutsu smoke and when it was gone a pillow dropped to the floor at Junichiro�s feet.
"Leave it," the lordling ordered as his swordsmen prepared to go after Sakura. "We will deal with her and her companions when we get back to Konoha. Inform me the instant the other ninja return." Bowing, the swordsmen left.
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Junichiro did not leave his tent again until late that night when an explosion rocked the ground beneath his feet. Startled, he quickly went outside to see what was happening. Far in the distance, back in the direction they had come from, he saw a tower of what appeared to be fire rise above the trees. A quick glance of the camp showed Sakura within earshot and he called, "Still think it is human?"
Sakura cast him a murderous look and took a hesitant step back in the direction that they had come. Dawn was only a few hours away� but could she wait that long? The need to do something was eating her up inside. She cast another glance at Junichiro, the look laden with indecision, loathing and even a tiny sprinkling of hate, but then her eyes hardened and she turned, walking up to him.
�Go back to your tent, Junichiro-san,� Sakura snapped and moved back to the ledge where she had been resting before leaping to the ground at the explosion. Whatever Naruto had found, he hadn�t liked. Sakura felt her heart constrict and her eyes burn. She refused to even wipe them as she settled back into the niche of her boulder-ledge.
Just as suddenly as the tower of angry chakra had appeared, it vanished. Determined now to see that Naruto was destroyed, Junichiro went back into his tent to write the formal order.
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Sakura had to wait just less than an hour before she got news of what had happened. "Sakura-san," a deep, quiet voice said from behind her.
She whirled, Kunai in hand and up in a crouched fighting stance before her eyes lit on her visitor. �Pakkun!� she exclaimed quietly and scooped him up in a big hug, clutching him to her chest. If Pakkun was there, then Kakashi-sensei was alive! That was certainly something to be happy about. She�d deal with anything else as it came.
The little dog didn't protest, letting the young woman smish him. "Sakura-san, you must get this group ready to move on. Kakashi-san and Naruto-san will not be joining you," he said gently.
�Why?� she demanded immediately. She took the little pug under his arms and held him at arm�s length to look him right in the eyes. �What happened?�
Pakkun pointed at the rock he'd been sitting on. There rested a wet, blood-spattered hitai-ate. "That's all they found. Naruto-san broke down so badly, Kakashi-san had to knock him out before the whole cliff came down on them. Kakashi-san is rushing him back to Konoha and Tsunade-sama right now. I will help you find the fastest, safest way back."
Sakura set Pakkun down slowly and reached with trembling hands to touch the hitai-ate. Her fingertips had barely brushed it, but she pulled back as though burned and cradled that hand to her heart. �He�s�� She couldn�t say it but turned wide, welling eyes to Pakkun. They were filled with tears and dread.
"We don't know. He could be alive," Pakkun stated, trying to keep Sakura from breaking down. Right now, she had to keep her head. "Just because that's all that was found doesn't mean he's gone."
Sakura took a deep breath. She understood what Pakkun was trying to say. �Right,� she murmured and after a moment�s hesitation, Sakura picked up the hitai-ate. She tucked it into her pouch with a shaking hand and then lifted the dog again, tucking him under one arm. She wanted something to hold right then and thankfully Pakkun was small enough that she could hold him and move about. Steadier now, she jumped to the ground.
�Everybody up,� she ordered. �We�re leaving.� She repeated herself at each group of people she came to and made sure that everyone rose. The last stop was Junichiro�s tent. Stepping through the tent flaps, she said firmly, �It�s time to go, Junichiro-san.�
"Have the others returned?" Junichiro asked, not looking up from whatever he was writing. He was almost done with the formal order.
"Kakashi-sensei sent Pakkun to guide us on the safest, fastest route home. He and Naruto been forced to go on ahead of us," she answered him neutrally, petting Pakkun's head to keep her temper.
Not understanding what she meant by 'Pakkun', he looked up and he frowned when he saw the dog. "You will take that animal out of my tent immediately."
"Mind your manners!" Sakura snapped back. "Pakkun is not just an animal!"
"Yeah," Pakkun muttered. "I'm a Nindog, thank you very much."
Junichiro's eyes widened in surprise. He'd never heard an animal speak before. Blaming it on some ninja trick, he decided to ignore it for now. "Where is Sasuke-san? Why are they going ahead without us?"
Sakura sighed and looked down to Pakkun. She didn't want to tell the little bastard any more than she had to, especially where Sasuke or Naruto were concerned, but she had to make him understand the gravity of the situation. Silently, she reached behind her. She'd begun to tremble again and she froze. She didn't want to look at it again...but... She closed her eyes lightly and tried to school her breathing, reaching slowly into her pouch. Slowly, she produced the tattered, bloodied and still wet hitai-ate and lifted her gaze to Junichiro's face.
"Sasuke-san's?" Junichiro asked flatly after a long moment. At Sakura's nod, he closed his eyes in respect for the dead. Beyond that, he couldn't find the will to care, not after his advances had been so thoroughly turned down. "Why are they going ahead without us?" he asked again as he opened his eyes.
"Because the heir to the Uchiha Clan needs to be found and they need more Ninja. This is bigger than you or me. This has to do with the alliance with the Sand and...Orochimaru," she stated, tucking the hitai-ate back into her pouch and returning her hand to the Nindog's head for comfort, scratching absently behind his ear.
The lordling's eyes narrowed slightly. He seriously doubted that was the only reason, but he could tell Sakura was not willing to tell him any more. He would tell his swordsmen to keep a close eye on her and report anything suspicious they heard or saw. "Very well. We will head out and arrive in Konoha as soon as possible." It was a dismissal.
Sakura turned and left without acknowledgement. "Now we wait for him to be ready," she told the dog softly and sat down, placing Pakkun in her lap facing her and scratched behind both of his ears. Having him there made her feel much more confident and secure.
"Kakashi-san was right. He is a bastard," Pakkun muttered, settling comfortably in her lap. "How soon do you think this party will be able to get home?"
"I don't know, Pakkun. I honestly don't," Sakura answered and then stopped. "But I know how to make it move faster." Standing, she put Pakkun on the ground. With a steady stride, she marched to the carriage.
"Everyone!" When everyone stopped to look at her she made her announcement. "We'll be leaving the carriage behind. Take only the necessities, like food and water, but no more than you can easily carry. The two swordsman and the four other attendants will be taking the carriage horses. Junichiro and myself will take Kakashi-sensei's mount and my mount. The girl will remain on Naruto's mount. Sasuke's horse will carry anything of mass importance that cannot be carried in saddle bags. A retrieval team will be sent back for the rest. We need to move."
Hearing the need for urgency in Sakura's voice, everyone moved more quickly, some packing what was going with them while others packed what was going to be left behind so it could be retrieved more easily.
"Ninja!" Junichiro roared, approaching her angrily. "Do you honestly intend for me to ride from here to Konoha?!" The very idea was preposterous. A noble of his position rode a horse only for pleasure, not for travel over long distances!
Sakura turned to face him slowly, schooling her face into a mask of firm impassiveness. "I do and you will. Your safety and the safety of this party is far more important than your dignity," she told him coolly.
"I will have your hitai-ate for this," the lordling declared, turning on his heel and going back to his tent to write another formal order.
"Runts. Always trying to prove their bite is worse than their bark," Pakkun said from beside Sakura's ankle. "Better go ready your horse. I think everyone's almost done."
Sakura nodded and turned to do just that. She had a feeling that it was going to be a longer journey than she had thought, and she didn�t mean in distance.
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*Konohagakure*
----------
Sakura had never been so happy in her entire life to see the giant gates of Konohagakure. Relief washed through her as she and her party pelted through the gates, their horses, heaving and lathered but really no worse for wear. They were a special breed of equine after all, living in a Ninja Village. She swung off her mount and caught Pakkun as he leapt from where he�d sat on the saddle in front of her and then turned, leaving the horse to be tended by one of the servants. She was running for the Hokage Tower at breakneck speed, leaping to the roofs and using them as the fastest, clearest path available.
Kotetsu was waiting for her at the Tower's door. "Sakura-san. Welcome back. Hokage-sama is waiting for you in her office. Izumo is already on his way to meet Junichiro-sama."
"Thank you, Kotetsu-san," Sakura said breathlessly and turned, fleeing immediately to the office of the Hokage while still clutching Pakkun to her chest. She burst through the door thoughtlessly and stood there panting just inside of them.
"Tsunade-shishou!" she exclaimed, panting and then hesitated. There was so much she wanted to ask: about Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, what was being done about Sasuke, what could be done about the disaster the mission had dissolved into... if Junichiro could really order her hitai-ate taken...
"Sit down and catch your breath, Sakura," Tsunade ordered, leaning back in her desk chair. There were worry lines in her face that hadn't been there the last time Sakura had seen her. Grief made her almost look her true age, despite the youthful facade. Sakura had arrived two days after Kakashi and Naruto, meaning Tsunade had to catch her up on Naruto's condition, which was something she wasn't looking forward to. "Tell me what happened between the time Kakashi left you and now," the Godaime commanded gently once her apprentice had calmed down.
Sakura did exactly that, telling her everything that had transpired up to the point that they had reached the gate only moments ago. Literally everything: every argument with Junichiro, everything she�d said and done including the slap she had delivered him and the response it had gained, that he had concealed fighters amongst his attendants and never ordered them to assist� everything. When she was finished, she was clutching Pakkun�s sides and had to force herself to release the dog. She murmured an apology to him, thankful that she couldn�t have possibly hurt him, and then fell completely silent, looking at Tsunade.
Tsunade took a deep breath and lowered her chin, the lines in her face deepening. "This is going to cause problems, especially in Naruto's case. Hopefully I will be able to convince the Fire Lord to override Junichiro-sama's orders, but given Naruto's current condition..." She shook her head in hopelessness. "I'm sure he'll let you keep your hitai-ate. Everything you did was in the interest of Junichiro-sama's safety, and the Fire Lord will recognize that. You did a good job, Sakura. Given the situation, you can't be blamed for losing your temper. As often at the nobles forget it, ninja are people too."
"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura breathed in relief. "How is Kakashi-sensei?" she asked then, knowing that Naruto's condition was probably going to be bad news. One thing at a time, she told herself and stroked Pakkun's back.
"Not here. As soon as he was done giving me his report and making sure Naruto was taken care of, he set out with a team of Anbu to look for Sasuke. They won't be back for a long time."
Sakura looked down at Pakkun. "I guess you have to go then?" she asked him. He could have left without her letting him out of her hands, but she figured it was polite to ask anyway. What dog wanted to play babysitter to an overemotional girl anyway? She was just grateful that he'd let her hold onto him this long.
"Not until we hear of Naruto-san's condition," Pakkun stated. "Kakashi-san will want to know."
Nodding in understanding, Tsunade leaned forward and steepled her arms. "The only way I can think of to describe it is that Naruto is lost within himself."
�Lost� within himself?� Sakura repeated looking a little confused.
"Yes. When he woke up, he immediately began asking for Sasuke, but after everyone told him Sasuke couldn't be brought to him, he just... closed up. He doesn't acknowledge anyone except to ask for Sasuke. Well, it's become more of a demand than a request. His eyes are almost always red and he constantly mutters to himself. I think he's arguing with Kyuubi." Tsunade realized what she'd just said and winced. Sakura was of the generation that wasn't supposed to know about that. "Shit."
"It's fine, Tsunade-shishou... I know. I've been blinded to it for a while... but I finally fully realized and acknowledged it just recently," Sakura assured her mentor softly, looking off at the memories the topic brought to mind. "Can I... see him?"
"You won't like what you see." Tsunade stood up and motioned for Sakura to follow her. She led her apprentice down into the deepest basement of the Tower to an isolated room. Beside the heavily locked door was a long, tall tinted window, through which they could see Naruto. He knelt in the center of a seal that covered almost the entire floor. A collar around his neck was attached to the floor with four heavy chains, making it so he couldn't stand. They couldn't see his feet or hands - which were behind his back - but Tsunade knew his ankles here bound to each other, and his hands to each other and to the collar. He had been given as little free range of movement as possible. It made her heart ache to see him tied down like a beast.
Sakura stared, felt her legs tremble beneath her, and pressed both palms to the glass. �Please, Tsunade-shishou� let me go in and try to talk to him,� she asked softly, her eyes never leaving the pitiful figure slumped on his knees in the center of the room. It broke her heart to pieces to see her teammate taken so low.
"No."
"Why?" Sakura asked calmly and quietly.
"Because he might kill you."
"He won't," Sakura stated confidently. "Naruto's still in there, despite that stupid demon."
"He won't kill you on purpose." Tsunade sighed and looked away from the young man she'd come to consider a friend, a little brother, and a son. "If you go in there and manage to catch his attention, all he will do is demand to know where Sasuke is. No matter how you respond, he will get angry and his chakra will flare uncontrollably. That seal contains most of it, but the demon has so much chakra that some always escapes. Konohamaru, Shikamaru, Neji, and Iruka have come out of that room with third degree burns. Medics going in to feed him or tend to him have only gotten second degree burns at worst. The closer he is to a person, the more he expects you to be able to give him Sasuke. And when you say you can't..." Tsunade closed her eyes to hold back the tears. "I don't think he even realizes he's doing it. He's so lost in the pain."
�I want to talk to him, Tsunade-shishou,� Sakura insisted. She hadn�t always been the best of people when dealing with Naruto, but she had known him forever, had been on his team for as long as they had been a team, had been his friend if nothing more. She�d always chased Sasuke, but as an individual that was her right just as it had been his right to chase her just as blindly for so long. Right now, Naruto needed something. She wanted to help him. It was as simple and as complicated as that.
"And I said no, Sakura," Tsunade said firmly.
"He needs someone!" Sakura snapped. "You're making things worse for him by forcing him into solitude! He's been alone almost his whole life!" She turned tearing eyes to Tsunade and pleaded, "Please! Just let me try!"
"So I can lose you too?!" Tsunade snapped back, her voice breaking. "I've lost my brother, my love, and now one of my closest friends! I will not let you go in there!" A long silence stretched between them as they gazed at each other, Tsunade finally breaking the eye contact to close her suddenly bright eyes. Her body shook as she took a deep, calming breath. A tear fell down her cheek. "No, Sakura. I can't let you talk to him," she whispered.
"Maybe you won't have to lose either of us," Sakura stated. "You won't ever know if he could have been saved if you don't try everything." She figured it was a reasonable thing to say.
Tsunade opened her eyes and looked at Naruto through the dark glass. His head was bowed, so she couldn't see his face to judge his mood. "I'll think about it," she said at last, turning on her heel. "Let's go. Junichiro-sama should be ready to see me by now. Pakkun, are you coming or going?"
"Going. Kakashi-san will need me to help in the search."
The Hokage nodded. "Very well. Thank you for all your help." She watched as he disappeared and then looked to Sakura.
"I've had enough of that brat," Sakura stated evenly and turned her attention back to Naruto through the glass. "I'll stay here, Tsunade-shishiou."
"You will not go in there without my permission. Understood?" Tsunade stated, her voice hard.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Sakura said tiredly and sank to the floor beside the glass, curling her legs beside her and leaning her shoulder against the glass. She folded her arms in her lap and simply sat there, watching Naruto.
--------------------
Her whole body and mind aching with fatigue from dealing with Junichiro for five straight hours, Tsunade made the long descent to Naruto's cell to see if his condition had changed. She was only mildly surprised to see Sakura still there, sitting on the floor. "Any changes?" she asked quietly, noting that Naruto had shifted his legs to one side. They'd probably fallen asleep.
Sakura didn't even look away. "Nothing. He's looked in this direction a few times. I know he knows someone is watching him, but I know he can't see me."
"His eyes? Red or blue?" (Please say blue...)
"Blue as far as I can tell," Sakura answered honestly.
Tsunade let out a relieved sigh. Blue meant he was in an approachable mood. "I will let you go in there to talk to him on two conditions. You get no closer than the edge of the seal, and you will leave immediately if his eyes turn red."
Sakura was on her feet in an instant. "I will," she vowed.
The older woman held her gaze for a long moment, praying this wasn't a bad idea. Tearing her eyes away, Tsunade began to undo the numerous locks on the door. "Be careful of what you say, Sakura. Remember, Naruto isn't very stable right now."
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Sakura acknowledged and smiled at her mentor reassuringly as the last lock snapped open. "Don't worry," she added and stepped through the doors.
Taking her time, Sakura approached the edge of the seal. She took in the whole room with a quick glance - there were seals everywhere and a matching seal on the ceiling as on the floor - and then let her eyes rest on Naruto. She stopped at the line and called softly, "Naruto?"
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Someone's calling my name... Their voice is familiar... Sasuke?! I look towards the voice, hopeful. Please let it be- ...It's Sakura... I look away, ignoring her. She isn't worth my attention. Not after all the pain she's caused me. (Stop laughing, it's not funny. ... Even if she does know where he is, she wouldn't tell me in a million years. She hates me, remember? ... Get in line, bastard.)
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He�d looked at her. It was a start. His eyes had also remained blue. That was a plus. �Naruto, please� I know you�re hurting. We all are. I � I�m sorry. And� I want to help you.�
Sakura put every ounce of her earnest emotions into her words that she could even as she slowly knelt, bringing herself down to his level. It made her more vulnerable too, which Naruto would know. She hoped he�d recognize it at least.
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"You don't want to help me. Don't lie," I growl, still refusing to look at her. How dare she say that?! How dare she?! What is she thinking?! That if she says she's sorry and offers me help that I'll throw myself at her feet like when we were kids?! (I am not!! ... Shut up, you miserable inbred throwback!!)
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"I want to help you, Naruto. I was wrong. I've been so terribly..." she paused and sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you," Sakura continued softly. Tsunade-shishou had told her to be careful, but she wanted to be honest even if that meant throwing caution to the wind entirely. "I can't be what you wanted me to be a long time ago, but what I can be is what I should have been all along: a better friend. Your real teammate, not just in name only... I want to see this nightmare end for you," she stated and then calmly rose and turned walking away slowly. "You're my best friend, Naruto. The only real friend I've ever had. And I'm an idiot for not realizing it sooner."
She was at the door now and waited patiently for it to be opened enough for her to exit. Tsunade-shishou had let her out as she�d let Sakura in for safety measures. �I�ll be back tonight,� she said over her shoulder as the door slipped open enough for her to exit and she took that last step towards it.
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Tsunade heard Naruto mutter, "Don't bother," as she closed and locked the door behind Sakura.
"Don't bother what?" she asked. She'd watched the whole encounter, waiting fearfully for the angry pulse of chakra she was sure Naruto would emit. When Sakura had managed to leave without angering him, Tsunade's knees had just about gone weak with relief.
�I told him I�d be back tonight. I�ll bring him his dinner,� Sakura answered and looked to Tsunade seriously. �You can�t leave him alone in there forever, and he has to eat.�
"I don't have much of a choice. The council ordered that he be kept like this. I've already started the process of getting that order overruled, but..." Godaime sighed. "Naruto's own actions aren't exactly helping his cause."
"I will do everything I can to change that," Sakura vowed and swayed a little on her feet as a wave of fatigue hit her. "I need a shower, a hot meal and some sleep," she stated and leaned for a moment against the door for support. "I'll be back tonight at midnight to feed him." With that, she pushed off the door and started for the stairs that would take her away from Naruto's cell.
Tsunade turned to follow her when suddenly she suddenly sensed the seal around Naruto strain to keep his latest explosion contained. Looking over her shoulder, she watched sadly as the fox's chakra danced around him like a flame. His mouth moved in angry speech, his eyes clenched tightly shut. (What is the demon telling you now?) Tsunade wondered.
Sakura left the building at a concentrated walk. She took small steps and almost completely watched the ground. She was bone-tired and sore and heartsick and she wanted nothing more than her shower, her kitchen table and then her bed. It wasn�t until a pair of hands caught her by the shoulders that she realized she�d been hearing someone call her name for sometime. She looked up and blinked. �Mm? Ino?�
"Hi, Sakura. Welcome home," Ino said gently with a tired smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Ino..." Sakura's eyes abruptly welled with tears and then she threw her arms around her friend and sobbed. Sasuke was gone. Naruto wasn't Naruto any more. Her entire world was falling apart all around her, and she felt like her life was spiraling completely out of control.
The blond girl simply held her and stroked her hair, patiently waiting for Sakura to cry herself out. Ino had already wept herself dry for the loss of Sasuke and Naruto, but even now a few more tears escaped, this time saddened by the hurting of a friend. Over the past two days, the Rookie Nine and their friends had all been down to see Naruto through the window of his cell at least once. And when they'd been told why he was in there... Ino felt as if her heart would never heal.
"It's not even his fault," Sakura managed to gasp, her voice shuddering as her lungs tried to pull in air that couldn't hardly make it past the lump in her throat. "It's not and he's being punished."
"I know, Sakura, I know," Ino said softly. She gave her lifetime friend a squeeze and slowly let her go when Sakura's sobs eventually quieted. "You hungry?"
Sakura wiped at her eyes with shaking hands and sniffled, taking a deep breath as she nodded. "The Bar-B-Q? Are Chouji and Shikamaru available?" she asked. She wanted the comfort of friends, to know that she didn't have to face this by herself.
"Chouji's with Shikamaru. I was on my way home from seeing them." Ino's gaze lowered, her eyes tired and pained. They had been dealt a bad hand and it just kept getting worse. "Shikamaru... is in the hospital."
"Naruto," Sakura stated bluntly and looked away, sighing. She was out of tears for the time being. "We'll get it to go and take it to them," she stated and turned, marching with her usual determined walk towards the Bar-B-Q place. Her fatigue, for the moment, had vanished.
"No, Sakura. We'll get you something to eat and then you're going home to sleep," Ino said firmly. "You need it. You look like death warmed over."
The pink-haired young woman stopped and clenched her fists at her sides. "I'll rest after I've visited Shikamaru and Iruka-sensei. I want to see them all and tell them... that I'm sorry. You can go home if you want," she looked to the sky and sniffed. "But I'm going to the hospital." Sakura resumed walking immediately, her steps taking her toward the Bar-B-Q.
A small smile turned up one corner of Ino's mouth and she followed her friend. (Still bull-headed as ever. If anyone can bring Naruto back to us, it's you, Sakura.)
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*Midnight*
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Sakura yawned and stretched, careful not to spill the carry-out ramen container in her hand. She reached the basement of the Hokage Tower. Tsunade-shishou was already there waiting for her. It wasn�t the hospital rations, but she�d bought the bowl of ramen with her own money and they couldn�t argue with her logic. Naruto loved ramen.
�Tsunade-shishou,� Sakura greeted her mentor and bowed slightly. She felt much better emotionally and physically after eating, cleaning up and visiting with her friends and family. Her six hour long nap had done wonders for her energy levels. �How is he?� she asked and moved to look in through the window.
"Angry. Since your visit this afternoon, he hasn't stopped arguing with Kyuubi. The seal on the floor has been significantly weakened by the force of his chakra, and we won't be able to go in and repair it until he falls asleep. I don't think right now is the best time for you to go in there, Sakura." Tsunade was incredibly tired. Junichiro's order to have Naruto destroyed, already approved by the council of nobles, had arrived at her desk just a few hours ago. Since then she had been poring over it, looking for a loophole or an argument she could counter and save Naruto. So far, no luck.
"I promised him I'd be back tonight," the pink-haired kunoichi stated firmly. "I'm going in there. I brought him ramen bought with my own money." Sakura wasn't budging.
"You can go in tomorrow, when he's calmed down."
"No, Hokage-sama. I'm going in there tonight," Sakura drew herself up, defiantly staring Tsunade-shishou right in the eye.
Sighing quietly, Tsunade turned her gaze from Sakura back to Naruto. "You never used to be so bad at taking orders. You've been around him too long." She tipped her head in the demon holder's direction.
Sakura remained quiet. She wouldn't budge. She would have her way and she would talk to Naruto face to face.
After a long silence, Tsunade just couldn't take Sakura's determined stare anymore. "Dammit, Sakura, I said not until he's calmed down!" she exclaimed, her eyebrow twitching.
"Tonight, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura repeated firmly, her gaze never wavering.
"No." Tsunade was just as firm. She understood why Sakura wanted to go in there, but Tsunade refused to knowingly put her student in danger - missions aside.
�I promised him!� Sakura snapped, but she didn�t lose her calm expression too much in doing it. She was getting impatient. Still, she did her very best not to let it show as more than irritation. �Naruto deserves consideration just as much as I do. I am fully aware of the consequences of stepping into that room with him as he is. He could snap on a good day and kill me, but I honestly do not believe he will. Making me break my promise to him is only going to reinforce that he has no one if he doesn�t have Sasuke. It will make matters worse. Isn�t that what you�re trying to prevent? Aren�t you supposed to be trying to help him? I can make my own decisions, Tsunade-shishou. I�m going in there tonight.�
A little taken aback by Sakura's vehemence, Tsunade stared at her. Her look softened to one of understanding and almost pride, hiding behind a veil of annoyance. (She grew up right under my nose and I never even noticed.) "Very well. But I reserve the right to pull you out of there at any time if I believe you are in danger."
Sakura eyed her for several moments more and then nodded a few times, slowly. "Alright," she agreed and stepped closer to the door. Thankfully, the ramen, in its little carry out container, was still warm.
----------
Damn them, whoever they are. I finally got a moment of peace - winning an argument against the fox takes forever - and now someone's coming in here to pester me!
Wait, I can ask them where Sasuke is! Somebody has to tell me eventually!
�Yes. They are hiding him from you. Preventing him from visiting. Ask them often enough and they will have to let him come.�
Hopeful, I look up and open my mouth... only to shut it again. Sakura. (... I know. I'm not stupid. ... Bastard. ... Mongrel. ... Hey! That's not fair!) "Go away," I growl.
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Smiling softly at him, Sakura stepped to the edge of the seal and held up the bowl of ramen. �I�ve brought your favorite for dinner, Naruto: Miso pork ramen from the Ichiraku. O-chan and Ayame-chan send their best,� she told him and pulled the lid from the take out cup, letting the steam carry the scent into the air.
He looked thin already, she noticed. Would the demon find it easier to take over if Naruto was weak from malnourishment? She could only hope that wouldn�t be the case as she brought her eyes back to his face.
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(What the-? ... You don't really think she would-)
�This village hates you, Naruto. She hates you. She always has. Remember?�
I shiver as I recall all the times Sakura's punched me or burnt me with her words and her rejection or made me look like a fool in front of the others or... the list goes on. It's right. She probably did. "I don't want your poisoned food," I snap.
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�Poisoned? Naruto, don�t be ridiculous! I wouldn�t�� She trailed off when Naruto�s expression didn�t waver. Sighing, Sakura knelt at the edge of the seal and set the cup in front of her. Taking the chopsticks she�d balanced on the lid until she�d taken them into one hand to remove it, Sakura snapped them neatly in half and stirred the noodles around mixing the ingredients more thoroughly just to be safe.
�Fine. I�ll eat it. I�m not going to let it go to waste just because you feel like being silly,� she stated matter-of-factly, took up the cup once more and pulled up a bundle of steaming noodles. After blowing on them to cool them gently, Sakura put them in her mouth and ate them. Swallowing the noodles, she sipped the broth carefully and then said softly, �We�re looking for Sasuke. Kakashi-sensei and his Anbu squad won�t stop looking until they find him. I came to tell you that and bring you this, but since you aren�t hungry�� She sighed.
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"Liar," I mutter, watching her eat. My mouth is watering at the smell of ramen. I haven't had a good bowl in soooooooooo long (It is not flavored cardboard! ... Ew. If that's your idea of an ideal meal, I'd hate to be your stomach.), and the food they have given me in the past few days hasn't been exactly appetizing. (Yeah, my lord bastard probably did order that. Bet he gets a kick out of me getting prison rations.) "All of you know where he is," I continue with absolute certainty. "You just won't tell me. Want to keep him for yourself. Won't let him come see me." She hasn't keeled over yet... maybe it was wrong. Maybe she didn't poison it. Shit! A third of the bowl is gone! She isn't dead! It's safe! I want!
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Sakura sighed and stopped eating. Swallowing, she said softly, �I wish� that we did know where Sasuke was, Naruto. And you know better than even me how hard it is to tell Sasuke �no� and have him listen. He�d have been down here with you by now if he was here. He could have been on his death bed and he�d still come down here to see you� But I swear, when we find him, I�ll make Tsunade-shishou bring him down here for you to see as soon as it�s ok for him. I�m sure you want what�s best for Sasuke, too, just like the rest of us.�
The cup was still warm in her hand and two-thirds full. Looking back up to Naruto, she asked, �Are you sure you aren�t hungry?�
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I open my mouth to protest - I have my pride! I'm not gonna beg! - but a loud roar from my stomach interrupts me. Oh, did I mention that they only give me small portions, too? You'd think I was a bird, not a person. (Probably trying to starve you dead.)
�We would both die. Stupid human.�
(My point exactly. They're stupid. They think I'm you, re-mem-ber?) I hear the fox sigh in exasperation and can't help but grin. It's wonderful when I can be a pest back.
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A faint smirk lifted one corner of Sakura�s mouth. �I see,� she said softly. �Would you mind if I came over there, Naruto?�
(One thing at a time, Sakura. Ask his permission for everything. Offer him every confidence you can. Tell him nothing but the truth, and never, ever, break a promise, and you might be able to bring Naruto back into control of himself. Or at least mostly back into control of himself.) She kept saying it in her mind, making it a mantra for memory. She wouldn�t screw this up. Not when so many lives, and one very important life, depended on her. (He�ll be here for you when you get back, Sasuke-kun. I promise.)
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Would I mind? Or course I'd mind! It would put me in range for her to stab me! Shoulda seen it from the beginning when she started eating the ramen. Make me comfortable so she can come close and make the kill more personal. Nice try. (Well, duh. I'm not a Chuunin for nothing. ... Bastard parasite, who asked you?! ... It's your fault I'm not a Jounin yet! - Yes it is!) "You take that back, you damn shitty mongrel!"
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�Naruto,� Sakura said, firmly but gently. When his eyes were on her again, she set the cup of ramen on the floor, stood and removed all of her weapons, which were not numerous because she was only wearing her spandex shorts and a slightly loose T-shirt. Then she kicked off her sandals and pulled her shirt off over her head. Thus, wearing only her chest wrappings and her shorts, she stooped and picked up the ramen, removing the chopsticks from their seat on the rim of the cup.
Holding her arms out to either side, she spun once. �Nothing on me. Just the ramen and the hashi, ok?�
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...O...kay... What is she thinking? That I'll let her come near me 'cause she's half naked? I don't have a crush on her anymore, so that's not gonna help her any. I haven't for years. Besides, I'm not a hornball like my mentor... or my parasite. "Just because Sasuke turned you down doesn't mean you're gonna get any from me," I state flatly. (Absolutely not! There is no way in hell I'm ever gonna let you do that to someone!)
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Sakura winced with vexation but reined in her temper. �I don�t want any, Naruto,� she said with slow patience. �I�m here as your friend to help you. Now, since you can clearly see that I haven�t got any weapons on me, I�ll offer again� Would you like me to simply bring you the ramen and let you work it out yourself, or would you like me to help you eat it?�
There. She couldn�t be any clearer than that.
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�I would like to eat you, little woman.�
(Shut. Up.) "I can eat it myself," I growl, my stomach adding to the noise. There is no way I am gonna lower myself to the point where I let her feed me. Five years ago, I would have. Now, hell no. Besides, I'm low enough as it is right now. Every movement is accompanied by the rattle of chains, never letting me forget why I'm down here. (You've shot down all my ideas and yours aren't much better. When you come up with something that'll actually work, let me know.)
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Taking that as a yes, Sakura stepped forward slowly, but steadily moving easily up to him, ramen in hand. �Where would you like me to put it then?� she asked patiently. She was willing to play his game until he tired of it and let her help him. She was finally standing beside him, close enough to touch him, but she refrained. She wanted to hug him. She doubted it would be appreciated at the moment. Later, when she had his trust perhaps�but right now, she was dancing on thin ice.
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I narrow my eyes at her. What kinda stupid question is that?! Right in front of me, duh! I slowly scoot back until the chains in front of me are taut, then bend forward as far as the chains behind let me, continuing the process until my face is close to the floor and ignoring the fox's taunting the whole while. She's already put the cup in front of me, but it's just out of comfortable reach. Bitch, she did that on purpose. (One more snicker out of you and I swear-) Stretching my neck forward, I bite the edge of the cup and gradually pull it closer so it doesn't spill. If she cracks just one sarcastic comment, I'm gonna scorch her.
Oh, this smells soooooooooo good... It's gotten cool, but I don't care. Ramen is ramen. I give her one more glare before shoving my face as far into the cup as I can and lapping up my favorite meal.
----------
Silently, respectfully, Sakura retreated nearly to the edge of the seal on the floor and busied herself with her nails, digging carefully beneath them to remove the tricky dirt that still kept showing up no matter how often she washed her hands and cleaned beneath her fingernails. Occasionally, she glanced up to mark Naruto�s progress, watch him carefully for a moment, then return to her fingernails, then her hair when he took long enough that she had them clean again before he was finished. The whole while, she remained dead silent.
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Oh, come on! Just a little farther... Argh! Why did this cup have to be so blasted deep?! I WANT THAT HALF INCH OF NOODLES IN THE BOTTOM! Growling in frustration, I push my face farther into the cup, making the foam give. Yes! Success! Noodles, meet stomach!
There's still a little broth in the bottom but it can stay there. There's no way I can get it without making a mess, and considering they probably aren't gonna let me out of here to clean myself up... (Be glad it's a chamber pot and not a litter box, mutt. ... What?) Grinning happily from my victory, I lick as much of the broth off my face as I can. Yum, Miso.
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Sakura lowered her hands from running them through her short hair and asked softly, �Would you like some more, Naruto?�
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I do, but I'm not gonna tell her that. I'm not gonna ask her for anything. Letting my stomach answer for me - it'll take at least another seven bowls to fill it - I bend forward and try one last time to get the broth in the bottom of the cup. Hmm, maybe if I make the foam give just a little more...
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Turning from him, Sakura strode toward the door and poked her head out of the room. �Tsunade-shishou?� When the old woman looked at her, she asked softly, �Can you go and buy�. twelve more bowls of ramen please? And tell Ayame-chan to put it on my tab.�
"Alright." Tsunade disappeared in a cloud of Jutsu smoke, reappearing ten minutes later carrying a bag of take-out bowls. "You're doing a good job, by the way. Anyone else would have gotten burned by now." She'd been watching the whole time, fearful that something horrible would happen.
�Naruto might be special, but he isn�t special ed,� Sakura stated almost primly. Then she turned her attention back to the demon holder and walked slowly back to her place at the edge of the seal. She felt incredibly vulnerable with her shirt gone, but she knew this was the best course of action. Naruto must know how exposed she felt on some level, and it was from that level that she would build the foundation of trust between them again.
�Naruto,� Sakura called and then said, at the same time that she moved, �I�m coming close again. I�ve got more ramen.�
She talked to him until she reached him and then stopped, setting the bag down at her ankle. She reached in, completely taking her attention off him to fish in the bag. �Do you want help this time, or do you want to do it yourself?� she asked as she popped the lid off another bowl and picked up a fresh pair of hashi since the first lay on the floor now. She broke them and stirred the contents. Pulling out some noodles, she put them in her mouth. She trusted Tsunade-shishou not to poison the cups. She didn�t trust Junichiro not to order it done by someone else. For Naruto�s sake and for Naruto�s trust, she�d taste every cup before she presented it to him.
----------
If she offers me help one more time, I am gonna scorch her. I did just fine with the first cup! "Myself," I growl, waiting for her to put the cup she's eating from in front of me. She better not eat a third of it again - Yes! Ramen! (Shut up, I'm hungry.)
�As am I; however, fresh meat has significantly more flavor than those cardboard strips.�
(If you want raw meat that badly, eat your tails.)
�Absolutely not!�
(Then let me eat in peace. Bastard.)
�Whelp.�
(Asswipe.)
�Hairless baboon.�
"Bitch," I mutter around a mouthful.
The fox throws itself against the bars of its cage with an enraged roar, making me grin. (Hit a nerve, did I?)
----------
Setting the cup in front of him, Sakura stepped back again and waited. She kept supplying Naruto with ramen until all of it was gone, eating from each one for a while before giving it over to him. She ended up with a bag of empty Styrofoam cups and a full stomach. The last thing she had to do was get the shards of the first Styrofoam cup out from beneath Naruto who was now kneeling, having struggled back into that position while she was gathering up the newer cups.
"May I?" Sakura asked and pointed to the cup pieces that had shifted to just beneath him, between his knees.
----------
She is being way too nice to me tonight... She hasn't been this nice to me since we were kids. There has to be a catch. (Heh. Yeah, right. Only when I'm the last guy left on the planet, and then not even then.) Watching her warily, I spread my knees and wait for her to finish cleaning up the mess before asking sharply, "What do you want?"
----------
"Nothing," Sakura answered immediately and then stretched a little. "Everyone else is being stupid... and I realize now... that I was wrong before. I want to be your friend. Your real friend. I'm hoping maybe someday you'll let me. That's all. Now, I'd like to look at your stupid bindings and make sure they aren't hurting you. May I?"
It was obvious in her tone what she thought of the treatment Naruto had received thus far.
----------
That was the biggest load of bullshit I've heard in a long time. She can't possibly expect me to believe that. Friends? With her? After the way she's treated me over the last couple years? Not a chance. She definitely wants something. Protection? (No, not sex.) Somebody's death? Meh, whatever it is, she's not gonna get it from me. (Or you.) And as for my bindings, they're just a major pain in the ass. I heal too fast to get sores like 'normal' people. (Oh, spare me.) "Only if you'll take them off."
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Pink hair shushed quietly as Sakura glanced quickly behind her and then back to Naruto. Lowering her voice, she stepped closer to him. "I would, but the old hag would be in here in a heartbeat. Naruto... I'm sorry... but you have to tolerate this until they find Sasuke, ok?"
She hadn't even noticed that her hand had risen until her fingers were nearly at Naruto's cheek. Sakura hesitated when she saw her fingers hovering out of range, reached a little closer, but in the end, she dropped her hand. She didn't have permission to touch him yet. She couldn't until she had that.
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�She seems very adamant about lying to you.�
(Thank you for stating the obvious.) I watch her hand drop, wishing she had touched me so I could've bitten her. That's all I can do right now, besides burn people with the fox's chakra. She's lied to me so much tonight she isn't even worth the effort of burning, but I bet I could've taken a finger off. "Get out of my face, and don't come back until you decide to tell me the truth," I growl. I'm sick of being lied to.
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Sakura sighed and turned away. In moments, her shirt was back where it belonged and she had gathered up everything she had brought into the room. �I�m sorry� that I�ve pushed you into not trusting me, Naruto,� she murmured softly and walked slowly out of the cell.
"Well? How did it go?" Tsunade insisted as she locked the door behind Sakura. Even though she had seen everything, she hadn't heard any of the conversations. Normally these cells had surveillance cameras and microphones in them, but Naruto had kept frying the equipment with his explosions and there just wasn�t a point in continuing to fix it when it would only get ruined again.
�Fine. He still doesn�t trust me much, but I�m obviously not burned, so he does at least a little bit. The fox still talks to him a lot and he prefers to argue with it, but that�s to be expected. If I could, I would rip that damn parasite out of him and shove it into something else, then destroy it.�
Her words were vehement. At that moment, Sakura hated that demon so much that one looking into her mind might very well have thought that she had been around at Yondaime Hokage�s demise because of it.
"I'd gladly help," Tsunade said fiercely, throwing the last lock shut with more force than necessary. She hated seeing Naruto under the demon's influence. "Unfortunately, there is no way we can do that without killing Naruto."
"I know," Sakura murmured and rubbed the back of her neck flexing her shoulders. She was so tense. "Let's leave him be for tonight. I'll feed him again in the morning."
"Mm." Casting one last look at Naruto - who appeared to be dozing off thanks to his now-full stomach - Tsunade headed for the stairs. In desperate need of sleep herself, she'd send Izumo or Kotetsu down to keep an eye on Naruto. "What is your opinion of his mental condition?"
"He's... fractured. Not quite broken," Sakura answered with little hesitance. "He's confused and unstable. He needs... Sasuke. I doubt anything else is going to make him happy. If he isn't happy... we probably can't do much for him." Sakura never looked at Tsunade the whole walk up the stairs, but at the top Sakura looked directly at her. "We need to find a small handful of people that he'll trust... at least someone besides me. Just in case something happens and I can't be there for him."
"That leaves me and Jiraiya out," Tsunade muttered, remembering the burns she and her old teammate had received when they'd tried to reason with Naruto. "Kakashi, too, probably. Why didn't he attack you?"
"I don't know, but it was obviously worth the effort of trying," the pink-haired kunoichi pointed out. "Try Ayame-chan from the Ichiraku. Talk to O-chan and Ayame-chan and see if she'd be willing to try and help. Naruto's less likely to attack a girl anyway." Sakura sighed and looked forward again. "He's still in there. He's just a little lost, since the fox seems to have delighted in leading him astray."
"I'll contact the--ah!--m in the morning," Tsunade said around a yawn. "Go home and get some sleep, Sakura. Tomorrow's going to be a long day." Waving good-bye over her shoulder, the Hokage headed for her office and one more pile of paperwork before bed.
Sakura nodded and headed out on her own, but she had a couple stops to make before she actually went home and went to bed.
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*The Next Day*
----------
Izumo was waiting for Sakura the next morning, sitting in a chair in front of Naruto's cell with a notepad in his lap. "Good morning, Sakura-san," he greeted, casting her a friendly smile over his shoulder.
"Izumo-san," Sakura greeted the other Ninja and stopped before him with a slight bow and a warm smile. "How is he?" she asked immediately afterwards, moving over to look in through the mirror. The others should be there any minute, she assured herself.
"Dead asleep, finally. According to Tsunade-sama, he'd been dozing when you left him last night?" At her affirmative nod, he continued. "Well, not long after my watch started, he woke up and started muttering and throwing his chakra around. He didn't fall asleep until just a couple hours ago."
�Can you let me in to see him, please?� Sakura asked gently and looked from Izumo to the demon-holder. She wanted to check Naruto over for injury, not that the fox wouldn�t heal almost anything, but she wanted to make sure it wasn�t being stupid and refusing to. The last thing she wanted was to have to amputate something of Naruto�s because of bed sores or gangrene.
"I'd better not. Tsunade-sama would have my head if I let you in there without her okay, and we don't know how he'll react if you wake him up."
�Like Naruto always reacts to being woken up,� Sakura stated matter-of-factly. �He�ll be groggy and slow.� Sakura turned her attention to the blond through the glass. �I wish there was a way to make it so that he could lay down more comfortably. Sitting like that has to be terribly uncomfortable. It�s like� we�re treating him like the enemy he isn�t. �It�s terrible.�
Sighing, she looked up as Tsunade appeared at the top of the stairs, Ayame-chan on her heels and both of them carrying bags of take out ramen. Enough that everyone � Izumo and Tsunade included � would have some. Sakura smiled and greeted them both with a bow. �Ohayo gozaimasu.�
�Ohayo,� Tsunade mumbled at the same time Ayame did and looked to Naruto through the glass. �Asleep?� she asked and when Izumo confirmed it, she turned to the girls. �Let�s get him fed and send him back to sleep. Sakura, stand in the doorway and call to him. If we can�t wake him up from a distance, we�ll wait.�
Sakura nodded and stood beside Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage threw open the locks. If they were lucky, Naruto would hear the locks opening and wake up at least a little bit. As she waited, Sakura heard a rustle from behind her and heard Ayame whisper something to Izumo about eating and then taking himself off to bed. The other young woman had a point. Tsunade�s attendants � Izumo and Kotetsu both � looked like death warmed over. She�d passed Kotetsu on the way in and he�d looked ready to drop on the spot. (This whole ordeal is taking a lot out of everyone. I hope Kakashi-sensei finds Sasuke-kun soon. Things will only get worse here until then�)
Footsteps on the stairs announced the arrival of the last of the volunteers. Moegi, Ino and Hinata reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. Sakura was intensely surprised to see Neji there as well, but made no comment as the last of the locks opened. Stepping inside, she walked in a few feet and called gently, �Naruto. It�s Sakura. We�ve brought you ramen for breakfast. I just want you to eat something and then you can go back to sleep, ok?�
(Talk to him calmly until he wakes up. I suppose that�s the best course. I�ll give him some ramen and then let Ino in. We�ll see how that goes. I�ll be here in case any of them need my help, though with Neji guarding Hinata, I won�t have to worry about them nearly as much� or perhaps I�ll need to worry about them the most. Oh, well� we�ll see�)
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Gods damn it, I just can't get a break. I finally get some sleep and she chooses now to come back and pester me. The chains clink softly as I shift, cracking an eye open to tiredly glare at her. "G'way," I mutter. "M'sleepin." My parasite's asleep too, and as soon as it wakes up it'll keep me awake. Bastard. I'm so tired...
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Watching him quietly for a moment, Sakura sighed. �Alright. Rest. I�ll be back in a few hours. We�ll reheat the ramen for you.� Turning, she left the room and closed the door. �He looks like hell. Let�s let him sleep. For your trouble, I�ll treat you all to breakfast. Then afterwards, we�ll come back and try again. Sorry everyone.�
�It�s ok� Sakura-san,� Hinata spoke up shyly, her voice soft, and blushed as she looked at the ground. �We all want what�s best for Naruto-kun.�
Tsunade sighed but nodded and began throwing the locks closed again. Naruto really didn�t look all that great. The last thing she wanted was for him to die for lack of proper care. �Alright. Izumo, stay here. I�ll send a shift change in half an hour. Let�s go.�
"Hai, Hokage-sama. I'll make sure you are contacted when he wakes up."
�Thanks, Izumo,� Tsunade murmured as she headed out, ushering the children before her.
--------------------
It wasn't until late that afternoon that everyone was summoned back down to Naruto's cell. Ibiki was waiting for them, watching the prisoner with the trained eye of one who knew very well how the mind works. He bowed his head respectfully to Tsunade as she joined him.
"How is he?" Tsunade asked immediately upon reaching the bottom of the stairs. Everyone else silently followed her down and up to the door.
�Tired, but stubborn,� Ibiki said immediately. �I believe the demon is attempting to completely take over his mind, but he is putting up a formidable fight.�
�How can you tell?� asked Ino as she approached the glass.
�Look at his face. See the stress lines around his eyes, and how they�re unfocused? He�s focusing on whatever is going on inside his head. Also, he mutters and shakes his head often. I can�t always tell if it�s in disagreement or resistance, but he is definitely fighting.�
�It shouldn�t have been heard to see, Ino,� Sakura stated as she rested the palm of one hand on the glass. �Naruto was born a fighter�� she trailed off but came back to herself quickly, looking back at her small audience. �I�ll go in first and offer him ramen. I�ll explain to him what�s going on. He�s not some dumb animal. Naruto will either agree to this or he won�t, but that doesn�t mean he�s stable enough to think clearly about decisions he makes beyond that. Please� don�t hold anything against him right now. With Sasuke gone� he has enough to deal with. Be gentle.�
When everyone only solemnly nodded, Sakura sighed and pushed completely away from the glass. Reaching out, she took three of the reheated bowls of ramen from Ayame, stacked them neatly and moved to the door. Tsunade-shishou was already throwing open the locks, a definite heads up to Naruto that someone was coming. When it was open, she stepped through and greeted her teammate brightly.
�Hey, sleepyhead! Hungry?� she called cheerfully and stepped into the room, pausing at a safe but discreet distance from him, which allowed him the opportunity to acclimate with her presence once more. It was disconcerting to feel everyone else�s eyes on her back. She couldn�t imagine what Naruto must be feeling with the fox in his very mind and the people always watching him from the outside with nowhere to run.
----------
Oh, gods, she�s in a chirpy mood� Spare me. And she�s brought people with her. I can�t see them, but I know they�re watching through the wall in front of me. It looks just like the other walls, but I�ve seen the one-way glass they use in high-priority cells before.
�They are waiting for you to give them a show.�
(They�re not gonna get one. I�m not some circus animal.)
�Why not give them a little display, then? Show them we mean business and��
(That I mean business.)
�Yes, of course, that you mean business. Use that girl as an example. Show them you will not tolerate this treatment.�
The smell of the food she�s carrying hits my sensitive nose, making my mouth water and my stomach growl. Last night�s dinner was a long time ago. (Hmm� She has ramen. After the ramen. Then maybe.)
�You will.�
(Maybe.) The smile on her face looks strained, but she doesn�t smell scared. Oh, that ramen smells good� but there is no way I�m gonna have an audience while I eat. �Tell the others to go away.�
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�Go away? But Naruto, they�ve come to see you,� Sakura stated instantly and stepped closer. �The truth is� I�m going to help Kakashi-sensei look for Sasuke whenever he needs the extra hands and eyes. I�ll be here ninety-percent of the time, but when I�m not, I don�t want Junichiro-bastard�s people watching over you. I found some people who are willing to help us out� if you let them.� She stopped short and shook her head a little.
�Mou! That can wait. Sorry. I�m still tired. I got distracted. Let�s get you fed first, ne? Would you like me to set it in front of you like before? I can get a wash cloth for your face too, you know� so that you aren�t sticky anymore.�
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�I said, tell them to go away,� I repeat, growling. �It�s either that or get out.� Help Kakashi-sensei look for Sasuke, my ass. If she�s gonna start lying to me again, then I don�t want her in here. Even if she does have ramen. I think it�s Miso pork again. Oh man, I want it� (How many times do I have to tell you it�s not cardboard!)
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Sakura looked between the door and Naruto indecisively for a moment and then let her shoulders slump. �Alright, Naruto� how about a compromise? I�ll ask them to leave while you eat until you�re full. Then I�ll bring them in to see you. How about that?� She had to keep trying.
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Why is she giving up so easily?! This isn�t like Sakura� Normally I�d have to argue with her for at least an hour to get what I want or I give up! Something�s going on� and I bet I�m not gonna like it. �Who�s out there?� I demand, narrowing my eyes at her.
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�Hinata and Neji, Ino, Moegi, Ayame-chan from the Ichiraku, Tsunade-shishou and Ibiki-san,� Sakura answered immediately. �They want to help.� There really was no point in lying to him. It could only hurt her cause in the future. So, she told him the whole truth.
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My mind turns the names over. Hinata... here to offer timid support and pity. The last thing I want right now is pity, especially from her.
Neji... probably here to see just how far I've fallen. If he comes in here and starts talking about destiny, I'm gonna roast him to the bone.
Ino... there is no way in hell I'm gonna put up with her. She's a pain in the ass. I don't want to listen to her prattle on about her Sasuke obsession. He's mine!
Moegi... I have no idea why she's here.
Ayame-chan... O-chan probably sent her to make sure their number one customer isn't about to die.
Tsunade-baba and Ibiki I understand. It's the hag's job to keep an eye on me, and who better to get help from than Konoha's master of torture? ...Bet he's under orders from my lord bastard to kill me in the most painful way he knows.
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"Naruto?"
He seemed so incredibly lost in thought that it appeared that he had completely forgotten she was there. Sakura didn't want to startle him, but she had to get his attention back to her.
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"Tell them to go away," I say again, not bothering to look at her. "I don't want to see them."
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Sakura clenched her teeth and yanked a cup of ramen open. She'd set the other cups she'd brought in down by the door without really thinking about. Now, she stared at the contents for a total of two seconds and then fished some noodles out with already broken chopsticks. She ate them silently and then stalked forward, slamming the cup on the ground before him. "Don't be such a brat, Naruto!" she snapped and straightened, pointing in the direction of the door. "Those people are here because they're worried about you! They want to help! Don't be such a bastard!"
Sakura's teeth clicked shut. Where had that come from?! Whirling on her heel, she turned and stalked out quickly, slamming the door and leaning against it quietly. She needed to cool down before she went in there again... if she hadn't set them back that was.
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Worried about me? Yeah. Right.
�No one worries about us. No one cares.�
(I know.)
�They don't want to help. They want to kill us.�
(I know!! I know, dammit!! So stop reminding me...)
�I am only keeping you from building false hope.�
(False hope, huh?) Some ramen splattered onto the floor when she slammed it down. Not a lot. I don't know what to believe. My appetite's gone. I'm tired all of a sudden. Mentally tired. "Sasuke..."
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Some time later, Sakura poked her head back in the door. "Naruto? I'm sorry... I didn't mean to yell at you... I just..." she slipped in and closed the door, moved toward him slowly, so as not to startle him. There were tears welling in her eyes. "I miss him, too," she murmured, knowing Naruto could hear her whether he would listen or not. "We'll bring him back, I promise, but for right now, you have to fight that stupid demon and hang on. Sasuke wouldn't leave us... not like this..."
Sakura stopped. She was in the seal now, maybe five or six feet from Naruto's bowed head. She wanted to hold him, wanted to reach out and take him into her arms. To hold him... and at least have that want returned if not the embrace. She stood there, on the precipice of throwing herself on him and sobbing.
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"Just go," I whisper, my face twisting as her lies start again. She can't miss him. She probably came here from visiting him. 'Guess what Naruto did last night? He ate from my hand like a dog!' I don't want her food, I don't want her company, and I don't want her lies. I just want to see Sasuke. Just see him and know it's him. Why can't they give me that?!
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"Naruto..." she reached towards him, but he was so far away that her hand only made it halfway up before her heart lost the energy to lift it further. For now, she would leave him alone. Turning, she left silently and closed the door. She didn't turn to the assembled ninja until she herself had thrown the last lock on the door. She couldn't look them in the eyes and trembled with the effort of resisting the urge to run off crying. "He's not seeing anyone today. I'm sorry for troubling all of you."
"We'll try again tomorrow," Ino said gently, wrapping a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulders. "Maybe he'll be in a better mood." The others nodded.
Ibiki watched as the small crowd left, Sakura in the center. "Have any of the nobles come to see him yet?" he asked of Tsunade when they were alone.
"No. None of them," the Hokage answered solemnly and then turned her gaze to Ibiki after she could no longer see the younger ninja. "It's probably better that way. He might kill them."
"I didn't mean go in there with him. I meant just come to see him, like we are doing now. It might help his cause for them to see him like this, when he's not throwing his chakra around."
Tsunade was silent for a moment and then nodded, disappearing and reappearing with two nobles who looked a little disoriented. "Look at what he truly is," she said, sounding so much like a Hokage should. "A lost young man who has lost the person he loves the most."
The disoriented nobles only stared.
TBC�
Second Author's Note:

Gimme 31 (it's how many pages this chapter is in Word) reviews and I'll put up the next chappie. And they can't be just "Hey! Great chapter! Update soon!" They have to be constructive or I won't count them. Starting now!
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Reflections (Abandoned WIP)