Testing Fate: A MadaSaku Love Story

Chapter 25

Things were calm and quiet, as always, in the hospital wing of the Akatsuki hideout when no emergencies were taking place.

While Sakura and Zetsu cleaned and polished all the surgical instruments, they didn't so much as spare one another a glance. It's not that they don't get along, though they don't interact much. It'd been a long day of patching gun and knife wounds, and both were exhausted.

Sakura was unhappy.

The man she loves has convinced himself he's personally responsible for every bad thing that's happened when, in fact, they share the blame. Because of this, he's cut her off almost completely. The only time he looks at her is when she's patching him up after his missions, and it's nearly awkward then.

'It doesn't matter how much he pushes me away; I still love him,' she thought sadly.

In her heart of hearts, she knew it was probably futile, but she hadn't given up hope that he'd hear her out and change his mind. For the first few days of them pretty much being broken up, the pink-haired woman was angry beyond belief. She was hurt and scared.

Now she's just sad.

Madara saw his distancing as a method of keeping her safe. He's doing it for her sake, which is why she's no longer pissed off. To Sakura, though, it just feels like abandonment, even if she knows better.

The woman was lonely. She missed feeling his presence at her side. She missed how she'd wake up in his arms and feel like nothing in the world could harm her. More than anything, Sakura missed knowing for sure what Madara's physical and mental state were. Whether she's busy or not, she's worried about him every waking moment.

Is he being shot at? What if the police catch him, and he's thrown in prison? Is he hurting as much as she is?

Is he scared under all those layers of guard?

Until she saw Madara almost burst into tears upon seeing her awake, Sakura didn't think he could make faces like that. The distress that bled from his pretty and dark eyes was gut-wrenching. Grief and angst made the man look older. He looked more human than ever before, which meant he was vulnerable not only to her but to everything else around him.

'I'm a weakness for him. I know that now.'

Sakura's eyes watered up as she dried a long scalpel. It's the most significant reason she backed off. If he kept witnessing her fear and need for him, he'd remain distracted and at risk of being caught off guard.

'I'm a distraction.'

Just as the Uchiha keeps his distance for her sake, she holds back for his. It'd be selfish to disregard his desires in such a dangerous environment.

Suddenly, gunshots could be heard upstairs. Sakura and Zetsu met one another's eyes before swiftly moving to stand on either side of the door, each with a weapon in hand. Kakuzu made them devise plans on what to do during certain scenarios, this being one.

"Don't look for danger, but be proactive if you encounter it." Those were his monotone words of advice. Though maybe it was more of a warning that Akatsuki has zero tolerance for those who'd simply cower in fear.

Either way, Sakura was scared.

Zetsu didn't appear that way. His jaw was flexed, light brown eyes sharp, and focused on the door's handle.

More gunshots came, this time closer, on the same floor as them. Her brow furrowed when Zetsu's gaze flicked up to meet hers, and he nodded toward the desk across the room with a frown.

Tears welled in her eyes, 'He's telling me to hide. He'll take care of this if something happens because he knows I'm afraid.' Ashamed of her cowardice, Sakura crept toward the desk, creeping quietly.