A Different Life

Chapter 17: Even The Sun Sets In Paradise

Dark obsidian eyes narrowed at the red head in front of him, contemplating on what to do next. He was travelling in a rather troubled speed and Itachi knew exactly why. Even though Sasori chose it to be that way, Itachi knew he was still feeling that remorse and the distant feeling of something he couldn't quite decipher for it was way out of his reach, but he knew what Sasori was feeling and he couldn't find the right words for it.

Brown eyes stared straight on the path they were threading through the branches of the trees. He may look composed but if you were to look closer, you would see the faraway and broken look on his features. Sasori couldn't say he didn't expect this but to face the truth yourself still hurts even if you anticipated it long before. His eyes were downcasted for a moment, as if a certain memory replayed itself in the inner wars of his mind before he alleviated it and continued on. 

It did not went by unnoticed by the dark pair of eyes following behind him. "What now?" His low voice asked. After weeks of searching for their lost blossom, they had finally found her by first following their trail that started by a cliff and then to Tea Country, but instead of seeing a restrained Sakura Haruno, they were greeted by a sight of a smiling Sakura and hands entwined with Sasuke. If they had proceeded as planned, Sasori's beloved little sister would have been back in his arms by now and they would be put to ease after what seemed like eons of distress over their loss but right when they were to put their plan into action, Sasori stopped.

Literally stopped.

Unbeknowst to the what you would call a happy couple, two pairs of eyes watched them as they strolled through the night with unseparated hands. Sakura's smile radiated even from where Sasori and Itachi hid. The sight was something Sasori didn't expect this early. He had thought it would take longer for them to reconcile with each other and to see that it was just the two of them, as if an ordinary couple going home after their best date yet, froze him in his tracks. His shocked expression couldn't be concealed properly and Itachi could clearly see it like a humungous dirt in a white cloth.

They had just arrived in this place a few hours ago and it didn't take them long to find them, only to have the two notorious Akatsuki stop literally in their tracks at what they saw.

Sasori's raging emotions changed from shocked to disbelieving to dismay and finally to hurt. He had known this would happen but not like this, not in these circumstances and most definitely not now. Everything was still in chaos. Their emotions and feelings for each other could get in the way. It wouldn't take a genius to see that they were in love and that fact hurt him. That is where his confusion began. Why did he feel hurt?

Because you thought you were the only man in her heart.

A traitorous voice answered in his head but he was ashamed to say it wasn't true for it was. Maybe that is why he was so conflicted back when they were younger when Sakura suddenly told him she liked that young Uchiha. Maybe that's why he's so protective of her, glaring at any boy who dared approach her. Because he was protecting his reigning throne in her beloved Sakura's heart. He didn't want anyone else to catch her eye, anyone else to have her attention. Because he wanted Sakura all to himself. He wanted her undivided attention. He wanted her love.

As much as a loving and protective brother he was, he could also be selfish because of love. Love does that to you. Love does that to everyone, even to the most notorious villains alive. Isn't that why he, along with some others, joined the Akatsuki back then? Because something in their past that concerned this emotion called love drove them to that path unknowingly and ironically. In the end, they only cut off all of their affiliations, their bonds and everything including everyone else... because some of them couldn't find that certain light and refused to acknowledge their emotions. They were all raised in a different way and the way people treat you at your childhood affects your future.