UPROOT||SASUSAKU||COMPELET

chapter 8

Her time in Konoha was passing by rather quickly, and day by day, she attended her usual training and studying lessons with Tsunade. Not only could she feel herself getting physically stronger, but the chakra that coursed through her was changing as well. Her chakra storage could withstand more use, and for that, she was thankful. Not only would she be using it for fighting, but for all the medical techniques she had been learning from her mentor. Sakura would always go home after training, eating something small, and then crash in bed minutes after she arrived home. Unless a certain dark haired shinobi found his way into her apartment, and kept her from sleeping.
“Sasuke, how many times have I told you? Tell me before you just show up here on your own.” Sakura growled as she threw her boots off to the side at the entry way, and dropped her bag to the floor. Sasuke growled his response as he peeked over the top of the recliner at her. She discarded her key on the kitchen counter and trudged towards the bathroom. She was in need for a hot shower after her training session with Tsunade today. Her sessions with Kabuto always resulted in chakra exhaustion, and her mind began to resort back to her time with him and Orochimaru.
“You’re not doing good enough. What would Lord Orochimaru think?” Kabuto’s mouth pulled into a straight line, and his eyes narrowed at Sakura as she fell to the floor. Orochimaru’s experiments needing healing, due to the all the failed experiments and treatments that most were receiving, but he wouldn’t let them go quite yet. Instead, he handed them over to Sakura for her to practice her medical jutsu on.
Punishment for failing to fully heal his experiments were always painful, and she loathed him for that. Every day that went by in this dark pit of Hell, she regretted every one. But her goal to become strong always lingered in the front of her brain. The pinkette pushed herself up from the cold and damp floor, and pushed her long locks out of her face. A glare cast upon her face as she made eye contact with Kabuto.
“Finish healing him. Now, Sakura.” Another order sounded throughout the room. Sakura bit down on her bottom lip as she began applying the familiar chakra to her hands, and weaving through the skin cells, muscle tissue, and blood veins of Orochimaru’s victim. A silent sigh escaped her mouth as she finished repairing the torn muscles, and ripped skin.
She rocked back on her heels and wiped the sweat beads from her forehead. As she turned towards Kabuto, he offered a small smile and nodded. As much as she hated the white haired medic, seeing a smile on his face always made her feel good. She missed the praising she had always received back in Konoha.
“Only three more to go, and then you’re done with medical training. Orochimaru wants you to go to him afterwards.” Kabuto scoffed as he pushed his glasses up his noise. Sakura replied with a small nod and began working on the next patient.
Kabuto really pissed her off sometimes.
The scalding water felt good against her aching body, as she sat in the tub. The water snaked through her hair gracefully, and down her cream colored skin; washing away all the sweat that had covered her body due to all the concentration from exercising medical jutsu. After letting the water clash against her skin for what seemed like twenty minutes, she finally coated her hair with shampoo, and washed her body. Towel drying her hair off rather quickly, she combed through it, threw on shirt and sweats, and made her way to the kitchen.
Sasuke eyed her as she made her way to the fridge and began to rummage through it, looking for a quick bite to eat before heading to her bed to sleep the day away.
“There’s nothing in there.” Sasuke’s voice sounded lazy as he rest his head back against the recliner. He had picked up one of the many books that lined the shelves in her front room, and was looking through it.
“So that’s why you’re here.” Sakura teased him. As a result, Sasuke threw one of her throw pillows and smacked her in the back. “Hey!”
A small chuckle sounded from Sasuke as he went back to looking at the textbook.
“Wanna go to Ichiraku’s?” Sakura asked as she walked towards him, stifling a yawn.
“Hn.”
“Alright, then lets go.” Sakura slipped her boots back on and grabbed her key from the counter, placing it back on top of the trim on the outside of her door.
“You should really learn to hide that better.” Sasuke commented as he pushed his way by her, his porcelain face looking handsome as ever.
“Yeah, yeah…” Sakura muttered in response, and they were on their way to lunch.
xxx
“Oi, why do you always hang out with teme and not me, Sakura?” Naruto whined into Sakura’s ear.
Upon their arrival at Ichiraku, Naruto was sat at the bar, slurping his share of ramen. Hearing Sasuke’s deep voice, and Sakura’s girlish giggles, had him turned around and looking wide-eyed at his teammates. His heart could be heart shattering from miles away. With his signature whine and pout, Sasuke was already pinching the bridge of his nose, and shaking his head at their ridiculous blonde haired teammate.
“I don’t always hang out with Sasuke, he’s like a creeper stalker who follows me around.” Sakura nudged Sasuke’s elbow as she took another bite of her ramen. Sasuke snorted in response and muttered an incoherent response.
“Ne, you would pummel me if I did that. Why is it okay when he does it?” Naruto prodded Sakura, obviously teasing his female comrade.
A small blush came to Sakura’s cheeks at Naruto’s question, and she turned away from the two of them. “I didn’t say it was okay…” She mumbled through her mouthful of food. Naruto simply laughed at her, and Sasuke smirked.
It’s so nice being with these two again.
“We should ask Granny Tsunade if we can go on a mission together sometime soon! It’ll be like old times. Even Kakashi-sensei can come along.” Naruto had finished his third bowl of ramen now, and wiped his mouth of the remaining juice before turning to Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura rubbed the back of her neck and adverted her eyes towards her empty bowl. Sasuke simply looked at Naruto with a blank expression and should his head slightly.
“What?” Naruto confronted them, confused.
“Sakura is still on probation, dobe.” Sasuke replied coldly. Sakura nodded her head.
“Ehh, I’m sure Granny Tsunade will see around that probation, and let her go anyways! It’s worth a shot. Come on, let’s go ask her.” Naruto gripped Sakura by the wrist and pulled her off the stool. As he turned to do the same to Sasuke, Sasuke veered away from the direction of his handed. Sakura giggled to herself as Naruto continued to grab at Sasuke’s wrist, and the two looked like they had in the Genin days again.
“Dobe, I will break every rib in your body if you grab my wrist.” Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth.
“Oh, quit playing hard to get, teme! I’m not Sakura, I won’t play that game!” Naruto teased back, but resulted in getting a smack to the head by Sakura who was now blushing furiously.
“Ow!” Naruto complained, releasing his grip on her wrist and rubbing his head. Sasuke smirked and rolled his eyes at the comment. Naruto threw down his payment for his ramen on the counter, Sakura and Sasuke following pursuit and the three left the stall, waving their good bye to Teuchi.
Their walk to the Hokage tower was short lived, but filled with laughs and lots of catching up. Stories of how Naruto and Sasuke had grown up, closer, and stronger together made Sakura smile. On the inside, she felt differently, though. If only she had stayed and been here with her team, she too could’ve grown closer to them. But she was tired of always being behind them when it came to skills. She tucked the guilt away, and was thankful for the inner strength she found within herself, and how she had grown while away from the Leaf.
Naruto’s fist beating against the door brought Sakura back from her thoughts, and her stomach began to churn. What was she thinking, asking if she could go on a mission with her old team? She looked away from the boys to try to hide the distressed look that was cast upon her face. Knowing all too well that a pair of eyes had been watching her, and already seen the expression, she caught a glimpse of Sasuke’s Sharingan as she peaked up at him. Pink tendrils of hair fell in front of her eyes as she looked away again.
“Come in.” Tsunade’s voice could be heard from behind the closed doors. Sakura’s stomach churned within her as Naruto pushed the doors open and Team 7 began to make their way into the Hokage’s office.
“Ah! If it isn’t my student with her boys. What’re you up to at this time of day?” Tsunade chirped form behind her desk. Shizune offered the three a small smile as she held Tonton in her arms.
“Oi. Granny Tsunade! Give us a mission.” Naruto marched up to the desk and smacked his hands on the surface. His goofy grin and bright blue eyes were shimmering with hope. Tsunade simply raised an eyebrow at the blonde then cast her stare towards Sakura. Emerald orbs met honey orbs, and Tsunade’s brows knitted themselves together. A small sigh sounded from the Hokage as she stood up from her seat. Her arms crossed over her chest as she turned to look out the window, and down on her Village.
A long pause filled the room.
“I can’t do that.” Tsunade finally breathed out.
Sakura looked down in embarrassment, her cheeks were burning with fire. Naruto snarled with disgust as he threw his hands in the air. All the words that began to fall out of her comrade’s mouth made no sense. Her hearing began to go fuzzy, and hot tears began to well up behind her eyes. She gulped and clenched her fists by her sides; the feeling in her knuckles began to fade as they turned from cream to white.
As the curse mark in her neck began to nip at her skin, she finally felt something against her hand. Adverting her eyes to see what the feeling was, it was none other than Sasuke. He brushed his hand against hers every so slightly, comforting her almost. The hot liquid began to fade as she let the corners of her lips pull up into a soft smile, and the Uchiha’s mouth pulled into his signature smirk. Whatever he had just done, saved her from losing her mind and body to the curse mark.
A sigh of relief finally exhaled past her lips, and she pushed her pink locks behind her ear. Sakura finally looked back up to see Tsunade and Naruto screaming in each other’s faces now, and her green eyes widened.
The nerve of Naruto…
Sakura’s inner self rolled her eyes and looked away, while Sakura simply shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose; a habit that she found herself picking up on thanks to Sasuke.
“Fine! I’ll give you a mission, but the Council will have my head, Naruto! Does that make you happy?” Tsunade finally slammed her fist down on her desk, shattering the surface and collapsing the figure to the floor. Papers and files fell to the floor with it.
“Dobe…” Sasuke sighed, as he looked away and crossed his arms. Shizune simply gawked at the scene that had unfolded in front of her eyes, and she was now lecturing Tsunade about her famous temper.
“That is your second desk, Lady Tsunade! You can’t keep doing that!” Shizune scolded the blonde as she rushed out of the door, in search of a new desk, more than likely.
Naruto was celebrating his victory over Tsunade, and was grinning from ear to ear, and jumping for joy. “Team 7 is back in action! How’s about an S-Rank mission, Granny Tsunade?!”
“Absolutely not. The three of you plus Kakashi will be getting an escort mission, and that’s it.” Tsunade glared at Naruto as she began to flip through the missions folders. “Yep, there’s one right here. I’ll brief you in the morning before you depart. This needs to be kept a secret, Naruto. Do you understand?” Tsunade grabbed the blonde haired shinobi by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close to her face. Their eyes were now level, and Naruto gulped; sweat beads began to form on the temples of his head.
“Y-yes, Granny Tsunade.” He whimpered, “But the Council is bound to find out, eventually.”
The grip on his shirt loosened, and Tsunade turned her attention towards her student again.
“I’ll figure that out. For the time being, just ready yourselves. I’m only doing this so you’ll quit bugging me.” Tsunade waved Naruto away, her honey eyes still locked onto Sakura’s emerald eyes. “I’m also doing it for you, Sakura. You’re not going to improve by just staying around the Village. You need to get out and also put your skills to the test. Although it’s an easy mission, I’m sure trouble will find you guys. You are Team 7.”
“Tch.” Sasuke finally made a sound, and Naruto was already chuckling, his arms behind his head and a grin spread across his face. Sakura’s face lit up as well and she nodded.
“Now then, you’re dismissed.” Tsunade waved them out. The look in the Hokage’s eyes caught Sakura’s attention and made her cheeks flush.
What the hell was with that look?
Inner Sakura gritted her teeth together and narrowed her eyes in frustration. As Team 7 left the office and made their way out of the building, Naruto threw his hands behind his head and smiled at his comrades. Nodding, he began to rub the back of his head; a trait he had picked up as a Genin.
“Say, this is gonna be like old times again…” He began, trailing off slightly as he looked up at the darkening sky, “and I’m really happy to be able to go on a mission. With our team. It’s good to have you back, Sakura.”
The pinkette’s cheeks began to heat up and were tinted with a light pink shade. She smiled softly at Naruto before pushing herself into his arms and throwing her arms around his neck. The loud mouthed shinobi stuttered, eyes wide and mouth gaping open. He stood motionless while Sakura remained on her tip toes, hugging his frozen body.
“Thank you, Naruto.” She cooed softly, feeling his arms close around her petite frame. Sasuke merely glared at his teammates, Naruto mostly, as the hug came to an end and Sakura pulled away.
“Dobe…” The Uchiha muttered in a cold tone, before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away from the two. Naruto yelled at his best friend and looked back to Sakura once more before saying good bye for the night.
“I’ll see you tomorrow! Don’t be late!” The blonde caught his best friend before throwing his arms around Sasuke’s torso and starting a wrestling match between the boys. Sakura smiled to herself as she began to make her own way home.
It’s always a contest between the two.
She bit her lip on the way to her apartment as she thought about Sasuke’s remark and how short and icy it had sounded. What was that about? He had been perfectly fine while trying to snag a mission, and between the time they left the Hokage’s office and when Naruto had started talking-
Sasuke was jealous.
Sakura smirked to herself now. He was jealous that Naruto was being sentimental, and that she had hugged her friend. An overwhelming feeling took hold of her heart, and she began walking faster now. Her smirk started to pull at the corners of her mouth, and before she knew it, she was smiling. Grinning, actually, like Naruto did when he was super excited.
If he’s jealous, he’s got to have feelings for me, right?
Inner Sakura was dancing around, while Sakura reached for her apartment key on top of the trim. Her hands were shaky, and the familiar feeling of the key wasn’t where it normally was. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled with a loud grunt.
“Sasuke.”
That asshole took her key.
Due to the fact that she had never been to Sasuke’s place before, she was totally turned around and leading herself blindly. Frustration started to seep through her pores, and she breathed in sharply through her nostrils. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was proving to be effective, but what good was it doing her when she didn’t know what direction to go?
She couldn’t ask Naruto, because he would hammer her with millions of questions. She couldn’t go to Ino, well, because she hadn’t exactly played catch up all that much with her old childhood friend. Instead, she found herself going to the first place that had crossed her mind. While it was a long shot, it might just be the spot that he’d be at.
xxx
The eerie feeling that loomed over this part of the Village was already making the hairs on Sakura’s arms and neck stand on end. The empty streets were lifeless, and dark. This part of town was nothing but lost in darkness, and shadows. As she made her way towards Sasuke’s old house, she began to think that he definitely wasn’t here. But her body wouldn’t stop, she kept pressing on.
As she arrived in front of his house, not a single light was on.
Go figure, you dumb ass.
She gulped hard before looking around and rubbing her arms to warm herself up. Why did she feel so cold? The night offered a warm breeze, and it was still summer. Sakura found herself stepping forward, and progressing towards the house. On the inside, she was screaming. All her alarms were going off. This was a forbidden ground; how would Sasuke feel if he knew she was here? But her body kept ignoring her commands to stop, and kept pushing forward. Before she knew it, her hand was on the door, and she was now welcoming herself inside the home.
Upon entering, the heavy scent of dust filled her nostrils and a wave of fear flowed through her body. She knew that Sasuke wasn’t here, so why did she continue her adventure? As she pushed passed the entrance, and began to walk deeper in his old family home, all the different rooms were empty, except for the thick layer of dust, and cobwebs. As she stepped into the kitchen, it was almost as though she could feel the amount of love and joy that use to fill this room every day. Sadness begin to pick away at her heart, and tears began to well up behind her eyes. As Sakura exited the room and made her way down the hall, she came across more rooms; empty like the rest had been.
As she stood in front of one of the doors, she looked down. The sadness that overcame her heart was still nesting inside of her, and she felt completely empty now. Sakura couldn’t bring herself to explore the remainder of the house, and as she began to turn around, her back was forced back and against the wall, and a pair of hands were straddling her head; one on each side of her head and pressed flat against the wall. A scream escaped passed her lips, and once she comprehended what had happened, Sasuke had her body pressed against the wall.
Panic shimmered in her emerald orbs as Sasuke’s Sharingan looked her body up and down. She felt like a predator had caught its prey, and the hungry look in his eyes clearly reflected that.
“Sakura…” A short pant filled the silence, and Sakura’s ears began to ring. The feeling of Sasuke’s body so close to hers began to set off all the alarms within her, and her body went numb.
“I-I just…” She couldn’t make out the words.
The Uchiha’s red eyes narrowed at her, and she felt the inside of her mouth go dry.
Fuck. He’s so intimidating.
“Do… y-you have my key?” Now she felt like Hinata with all the stuttering. Her cheeks were now throbbing as though they were on fire.
Silence filled the void and she felt the heat radiating off of his body. She hadn’t realized it, but she was holding her breath.
“Why are you here, Sakura.”
A moment of silence passed between the two again.
“I was looking for you.” Her voice was small, compared to his.
“So you came here?” The question was forced and his voice was stern.
“I thought you still lived here and I was looking for my key…” She began to trail off as his eyes began to move down her body again. Sakura felt like she was beginning to squirm under his glare, and she so badly wanted to remove herself from the wall, and away from his glare.
“Come on.” And before she could answer, she was no longer pinned against the wall, but being dragged behind Sasuke. Her wrist in his hand, and they were already outside of the Uchiha Compound. One last look at the empty grounds, and they were already far away. Once they were within the live streets of the Village again, Sakura no longer felt the panic and sadness that resided in her heart minutes ago, but fear, now.
Where exactly was he taking her?
xxx
Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her apartment door again, and this time Sasuke wasn’t glaring at her anymore. Instead, he reached for the doorknob, twisted it, and opened it. Sakura’s mouth fell open.
“You mean it was unlocked the entire time?” She screamed, throwing her arms in the air.
“Hn.” Sasuke commented back before leaning against the wall, and avoiding eye contact with her.
“Where’s my key?” She questioned, angrily.
As the question left her mouth, he was already holding his hand out, and her key placed perfectly between his fingers. She snatched it and placed it back on the top of the trim, where it belonged.
Sakura merely glared at the Uchiha before pressing past him and into her house. She had wasted time that she could’ve spent either studying one of Tsunade’s medical books, or preparing her bag for tomorrow’s mission. Her temper was getting the best of her as she stepped into the entry way, and just as her curse mark began to nip away at her skin, she heard the short call of Sasuke; he had called her name.
As Sakura poked her head back out of her apartment, Sasuke was still leaning against the wall, but looking at her this time.
“Don’t be late tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m aware of what to do. I’m not an idiot like Naruto.” She retorted back at him; short and curt.
“Hn.”
Sakura rolled her eyes before she stepped back into her apartment. Just as the door was about to click in place, Sasuke had said something again.
“Sakura.”
“What?!” The pinkette snapped. She was now planted in front of him with both of her hands on her hips, glaring into his onyx eyes. He was much taller and stronger than her, but she was annoyed now.
“You really are annoying.” He smirked before pushing off of the wall and walking away.
Sakura straightened her stance as he walked away from her. A small smile began to pull at the corner of her mouth, and she shook her head.
It really is nice to be back in Konoha.