The Monster in the Gray Overcoat

Chapter 4

Finally, Sasuke grabs the man's arms and pins them over his head--and takes out his kunai. "I'm gonna carve you up like you did her!" Sasuke snarls into Fujioka's ear. He begins to slash down one arm when his own is suddenly stilled. It's Naruto's hand on his wrist.

"Sasuke, he's had enough now. Let's take him back to the village."

Sasuke whips his head up to look Naruto dead in the eyes with his own fierce ones. Through gritted teeth, he replies, "He hasn't had enough until I've sliced him up like a block of cheese like he did Sakura and then DIES by my hand!" He turns and spits in the man's face.

"Sasuke...we're better than this guy! We don't torture people, and we're not executioners! We don't kill a person unless they are a direct threat to someone's life! He's not a threat now! Don't stoop to his level! Please, Sasuke..."

Sasuke reluctantly holsters his kunai. "But I know a way I can do both...without doing either." Naruto watches Sasuke's eyes go red. Understanding what Sasuke means, Naruto pauses for a moment, then nods his ok. Sasuke turns his fully-activated Mangekyo Sharingan onto Fujioka. Fujioka screams repeatedly, then slips into dead silence--a look of absolute horror on his face.

@@@@@

Naruto carries Fujioka's unconscious body on his back as he and Sasuke head back toward the Leaf, having radioed ahead to the others.

"Listen, Naruto," Sasuke says to his friend, finally almost calm. "Thanks for staying out of it—for the most part—back there. I know how hard that must have been for you. I know you wanted vengeance of your own."

"Well," replies Naruto, "the way I see it...if it had been Hinata who had been attacked, you'd have done the same for me." Naruto smiles at Sasuke, who gives him a half-smile back, his silence serving as confirmation of Naruto's words.

"Naruto...did you hear what this animal called Sakura? He called her a Takahashi...and he said something about Sakura being 'her daughter'...could Takahashi be Sakura's mother's maiden name? Maybe it was her he was taking vengeance on through her daughter? I mean, I didn't think about any of it at the time, but now..."

"Ya know, I believe Sakura's mom's maiden name is Takahashi...you could be right. We'll find out when we get this garbage into Leaf Interrogation."

@@@@@

It's past midnight when Sasuke makes it to the hospital. It's late, and he knows she's probably asleep, but he just has to see her. To his surprise, though, he finds her awake.

"Sasuke!" she smiles. "I'm glad you came. How did the search go today?"

"I got good news, Sakura. We got him. We got the guy. He can't ever hurt you or anyone else again!" Sasuke gives her an unrestrained smile of gratified pride. He feels like he has just given Sakura a precious gift—and he has.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" She beams. "Sasuke, I never doubted you—or Naruto—for a minute. Thank you so much! But...where did you find him? D-did he tell you why—"

"Calm down, Sakura, I'll tell you everything I know."

Sasuke brings Sakura up to speed. But something other than catching Fujioka had been weighing on his mind since the attack. His face turns serious. "Sakura, there's something I have to say to you."

Sakura's heart catches in her throat. That look, that tone, that choice of words...she begins to panic.

"Listen. I...I'm sorry, Sakura. For what happened. Fujioka wasn't the only one who did something wrong that night. What happened to you was my fault, too. I never should have let you walk home alone. I should have protected you. I'm truly sorry, Sakura."

Sakura is simultaneously perturbed and relieved. He wasn't taking back what he said before; that was what she feared most. But it was quite upsetting to think that her love felt responsible for her attack.

"Sasuke! What happened to me was in no way your fault! You couldn't have possibly known what was going to happen. I mean, how could you know? You weren't even there!"

Sakura immediately realizes her mistake, but there was no way to unsay that.

"My point exactly! I. Wasn't. There! I never should have let you leave alone! I should have been with you! This never would have happened if I had just let you come in, or walked you home! Dammit!" Sasuke's face is stern and red with fury at himself.

"Sasuke, please don't beat yourself up about this! That man told me he was watching me, he was waiting for me. If it hadn't happened there, that night, it would have happened somewhere else at another time. He was after me. He would have ended up attacking me no matter what you did. Please don't blame yourself!"

Sasuke's eyes grow even darker, as does his voice. "H-he...he was...he was watching you?! You mean that sick bastard was stalking you?! How could I not have sensed him...with that kind of evil intent, so close to my own home..." His palms are quickly bloodied again.

"Sasuke, you're not psychic! As good a ninja as you are, you are still only human. And the way he slipped in and out of Konoha undetected, even by me—he caught me off guard because I didn't sense him--I'm pretty sure he hid his chakra. There was no way you could have prevented this from happening! *I* don't blame you, Sasuke, and neither does anyone else! You shouldn't either! Please don't let this burden you anymore! It hurts me to see you like this..."

Sasuke had been so involved in his own feelings of guilt and anger, he had forgotten to consider how his attitude might affect Sakura. Seeing the pain in her eyes as well as hearing it in her words, he calms himself. His face softens along with his tone.

"I guess you're right. Regret won't do either of us any good. But I can tell you this for sure....I will never allow something like this to happen to you again! And I promise I will make up for my error in judgement to you somehow. No matter how long it takes."

"There is nothing to make up for, Sasuke." Sakura reaches out and strokes his cheek tenderly, her eyes soft and affectionate, a small but loving smile upon her face. Sasuke can feel the anger and guilt slipping away—at least for now. He replies with a modest but warm smile of his own. Once again hearing Kakashi's words, he ventures to take hold of the hand on his cheek with his own. He gives it a small squeeze, making Sakura's eyes shine even more brightly and widening her smile. The contact—and Sakura's reaction to it—make Sasuke smile, too, without even trying to hide it. Then he makes his exit with another promise to return.