Thursday, 21st of September.
Knock, knock, knock
Sakura looked at Sasuke who was in the kitchen by her side. Today she had a day off and they had decided to think of an investigation plan. What happened with Suto yesterday was concerning and Sakura wanted to do something about it.
She walked to the door a bit scared of whom it might be. She opened it to find a crying Suto on the other side of it.
"Sakura... I can't remember anything!"
"Are you ok?"
"No... I have no memory of the last week. Last thing I remember was having lunch with you."
"What's going on?"
Suto looked at Sasuke with her eyes wide open.
"The genjutsu was broken, somehow. Come in." replied Sakura.
Suto walked in and fell on the floor crying.
"What is wrong with me? You're a doctor!" she rolled up her sleeves and Sakura saw bruises covering her arms. "Help me."
She felt something on her shoulder and she turned around to see Sasuke. He was looking at her worriedly. She gave him a smile and helped Suto up. She brought her to the sofa and sat her down on it.
"Sasuke, heal her bruises, I'll make her some tea to calm her down."
He looked at her annoyed.
"Really?"
"You can do it now. I'll be right back."
She rushed to the kitchen and prepared a relaxing tea. Once she got back, she saw Sasuke still working on the bruises.
"Need help?"
"Hn."
Her hands handed the fuming cup to Suto. "Drink this and you'll feel better. If you can't remember anything it's because you were under a genjutsu."
"A genjutsu?"
"Your parents never taught you that? They were ninjas, right?"
"Yes but they didn't teach me anything. They thought that ninjas should just disappear."
They were looking at each other's eyes. Sasuke stood up and walked to the kitchen leaving her alone. Suto moved her hands and formed a series of hand seal. Sakura was too slow to react and she suddenly felt like she was floating. She lost control of her mind and closed her eyes. When she opened them she was in a purple room. She looked around but there was no exit at all.
"Sasuke? Suto?"
No one was here, she was all alone.
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"Sakura!"
"She's fine. Look at me." Sasuke looked at Suto who was smiling. "I'm sorry, I genuinely liked this girl."
"You're the genjutsu caster."
A laugh filled the air.
"Wanna know what's even better? This genjutsu was created based on one of our special technique. The victim is placed under a box that I can make smaller as much as I want until the person is crushed. How fun is that? Do you want to see it?"
Sasuke looked at her moving her hands again and he felt his mind being disturbed but before she had time to perform her jutsu, he countered it and sent her to Itachi's Tsukuyomi. Sasuke wasn't as good as his brother with it but at least he had a way to make her pay for what she had done.
He watched her body attached to the wooden cross. He calmly spoke.
"Trying a genjutsu on me is the biggest mistake you could have made. I am a descendant from one of the most respected clan in Konoha. We are known for our Sharingan. Genjutsu is in my blood."
"You... you're an Uchiha? We heard that they were all dead!"
"I am the last one alive. I need to wake Sakura up and then I will come back to deal with you."
He came back to reality and ran to Sakura. She was lying on the floor unconscious. He grabbed her and put her against his torso. Suto was lying on the sofa still shaken up from the Tsukuyomi.
"Release!" Nothing happened. "Come on. RELEASE!" Still nothing. He stared at Suto and casted another jutsu on her. She was screaming inside the genjutsu.
"Shut up. How do I wake her up?"
"I'm the only one who can. By now your little girlfriend can't even stand up anymore. The box is getting smaller."
"Release her or I swear I will kill you."
"Why would I do that? If you kill me, she dies. You need me alive."
"Go to hell."
He sent rods to stab her over and over again. Sasuke left the place and focused on Sakura again. He was holding her tightly not knowing what he should do to help her. "Sakura, come on." He decided to try one more time to release the genjutsu. His despair pierced through his voice. "RELEASE!" Like all the other times, nothing happened. He stopped for a minute to try to calm down but his mind was blank. He shook her body completely lost. "Sakura, ANSWER ME! Release it from the inside!" she was still not moving in his arms. "SAKURA!"
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Sakura felt the wall pushing on her back. She jumped away from it and realised that she had no space left anymore. Trying to keep her calm she sat down on the floor and focused some chakra in her fist. She punched as hard as she possibly could but nothing happened. The ceiling was still being lowered. She understood that nothing could be done about it. This was how she was going to die, under a genjutsu that will crush her to death.
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Sasuke remembered Sakura saying that a medic can heal neurological issues. Maybe this technique would disturb the chakra of the jutsu and release her. He concentrated chakra on his palm and put his hand on her forehead. He was shaking a little bit. "Please work." After a few minutes he stopped. She was still asleep.
His went back to Suto and sent her there again. He covered her in black rods. She was bleeding from everywhere.
"This..." she coughed some blood. "jutsu is very convincing."
"Wait until I make you live that for 50 years. Killing you is not my plan but I will torture you for one thousand years until you decide to save her."
"You" she coughed up some blood again. "won't have time."
"It only takes seconds in real life. Release her."
"No."
An echo from far away resonated in the place.
"Sasuke..."
His heart pounded in his chest. Was this Sakura's voice? Was. it really hers? He looked at Suto with a smile.
"Im...impossible."
"Seems that I won't need you after all. We're taking you with us."
He snapped back to reality and looked at Sakura. She was awake lying against his chest. His arm wrapped her and he hugged her.
"Why do you always get yourself in trouble when you leave the village."
"Thank you, Sasuke."
He wanted to do it. He had to do it. He nearly lost her and it felt like the right thing to do.
His lips approached her face and he landed a kiss on her cheek. It felt like a desperate kiss.
"Are you alright?"
She moved her head towards his neck. He felt her breath against his skin. She gave him a small kiss there.
"I feel stupid but I'm fine. Where is Suto?"
"On the sofa. She suffered from my genjutsu. Can you land me some chakra?"
"Why?"
"We need to go to a different dimension to escape the village and we bring her with us. Get our bags quickly before anyone comes."
"Alright."
He saw her stood up but she lost her balance slightly. He jumped to be by her side and held her up.
"I'll go and get them. Stay with her."
She gave him a small smile and he quickly ran upstairs. Right now he had to get her out of here as quickly as possible. All he cared about was to get her to safety.
As he packed her bags, he heard some loud noises coming from outside. He heard Sakura shout his name. He rushed to his bag and brought hers with him. Half of her clothes were still in the bedroom but he did not care about it.
He ran down the stairs and saw the front door open. Sakura was outside and Kotaka was facing her. Blood rushed to his brain and he threw the bags where Suto was.
"Come and try to get in now!" he heard a massive commotion outside and when he looked there he saw the ground crumbling under Sakura's punch. She turned around to him. "Get ready, I'll give you some chakra now before people show up."
Sasuke grabbed Suto and the bags but before Sakura could help him open the portal, Kotaka ran down the stairs and faced them. He looked at the bags and spoke.
"Leaving so soon? We won't let you get out of that village. Everyone is outside, at the gates and around the house. You have no way of leaving."
"Bet? Sakura!"
He instantly felt her now familiar chakra in his body. He activated the portal and the three walked in it. Sasuke knew very well that Kotaka will follow.
He landed harshly on the ground, still holding onto Suto. The portal collapsed and by the time he got up, Sakura was already fighting Kotaka. He tried to jump into the fight but she stopped him with her arm.
"I know you two don't like each other, but he is mine."
Sasuke contemplated the idea of punching him but he realised that it was more satisfying to watch Sakura beat him up.
He looked at his girl fighting. She had grabbed Kotaka's collar and was punching him in the face over and over again. All of a sudden she threw him away. He landed far from her but she jumped and landed on him. Her punches were getting more violent.
"That's for when you called me your assistant." another punch. "That's for how you've treated Sasuke." Another punch. "That's for trying to play us."
Sasuke understood that if he didn't stop her she will end up killing him. He ran to the two and grabbed Sakura. Caught by surprise, she lost her balance and fell in his arm. "Calm down, he is more useful to Kakashi if he's alive." It instantly calmed her down and he let go of her. She walked to Suto angrily.
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Sakura's nerves were on edge. She felt so angry that she couldn't even handle herself. She was halfway to Suto when she heard Kotaka's voice.
"Really? I thought I finished you off." she mumbled to herself.
She turned around ready to go back and listened.
"How... how did you do that? Who are you?"
"I told you who I was. I am Sasuke Uchiha."
"Where are we?"
"In another dimension. We didn't need to use the gates of your village to exit, we simply had to open a portal."
"You two are.." he grimaced under the pain. "not normal ninjas."
"We were both trained by two of the legendary Sanin."
"You are part of the famous team 7?"
"So you've heard of us."
"We've heard about three ninjas all trained by the three legendary ninjas. We don't know your names, all we know is team 7. I didn't make the connection."
"That's us. Did you really think that the Hokage was going to send ordinary ninjas to your village? Especially since you are so secretive."
"I'm in pain."
"You played with my wife, deal with the consequences."
A wave of cold enveloped Sakura. Her loud mind suddenly got quiet. Did she hear him right? His wife? When he turned around, she looked at him blankly. She didn't know what to think about all of it. They looked at each other before he turned back to Kotaka. He grabbed him and dragged him to Suto.
"We need to go back to Konoha."
"Sasuke can we...?"
"Not now. We need to bring them back first."
"But I am just very..."
'Sakura, please. Not now."
As she was looking at him, she understood that he didn't want to speak about it. It wasn't because of her, he was probably just feeling very ashamed. She smiled.
"When can you re-use your Rinnegan?"
"In an hour. Get ready."
The hour passed by quickly and Sasuke asked her to open the portal. The four travelled and landed at the gates of Konoha. The two guards jumped off their seats.
"Sakura Haruno! Sasuke Uchiha! You weren't supposed to come back today."
"Sorry for appearing like that. We need to report to the Hokage quickly."
They left and ran to the tower. They entered the room without knocking.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
He looked at the two in confusion.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Sakura looked at Naruto.
"We are back from Tsuchigumo." she replied to her friend as she threw Suto's unconscious body on the ground. Sasuke put down Kotaka as well.
"We? What was Sasuke doing in Tsuchigumo?" asked Kakashi.
"You told me in your letter that you sent her there. I had to go as well."
Sakura turned to him. "That's not what you said to me! You told me that you had the same mission as I did."
"I never told him to do that." interrupted Kakashi.
She saw him clench his jaw and realised that she will not get an explantation any time soon.
"He just got worried that you would go back on a date with me so he had to come running to keep an eye on you." said Kotaka.
"Shut up or I'll make you quiet."
Sasuke's answer to Kotaka was so cold that Sakura was taken aback by it.
"Who is he?" demanded Kakashi.
"You were jealous?" Naruto jumped in front of Sasuke.
"Naruto, that's not why we are here."
"Yes, why are you two here? And who is he?" Kakashi's voice seemed blank.
"We have two hostages from Tsuchigumo."
"Why did you bring me hostages? Did you two learn how to investigate?"
"Hold up, hold up. Can we go step by step here?"
"What do you want to know Naruto?"
"You went on a date with him and Sasuke got jealous. I thought that you wanted her to be happy without you."
"So you two aren't together? Why did you call her your wife then?" said Kotaka confused.
"You two got married?!" shouted Naruto.
"STOP!" Kakashi stood up. "Enough. Why did you bring me two hostages from Tsuchigumo?"
Sakura related the events and ended on the fact that they escaped through a portal and landed in the desert dimension.
"Shikamaru!" the young man ran into the office and stopped to watch everyone standing there.
"Can people stop barging into this office all the time? You are supposed to ask me first. Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Contact the intel team. They need to interrogate these two people. It is about the Tsuchigumo secret mission."
"No problem. Anbu team!" two Anbu ninjas walked in. "Bring these two to the intel team. They need to be interrogated immediately."
He left the room with them and closed the door behind him. Naruto looked at Sasuke and Sakura.
"Hey say! So you two got married eh?!"
"No!" they both replied shouting. Sakura coughed. "Sorry. No we didn't get married, I don't know what went through his mind when he said that."
"That seems to be your problem, young people. Take it outside of my office. Sasuke, Sakura, I will keep you updated on the interrogation. You can stay in the village and rest."
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Naruto had been talking Sasuke's ears off durning the entire afternoon. He interrupted him quickly.
"I don't now why I called her my wife. It came out of nowhere. Can we move on to a different subject?"
"No. What is going on between you two?"
"Nothing. I don't know. I don't want to talk about it."
"Sasuke you need to talk to me about these things."
"I will talk to you if things go wrong. Everything is fine now."
"I believe you. You should go on holidays just the two of you. No mission, nothing."
"We are on holidays."
"Outside of the village. Sai is coming over, do you want to stay?"
"No."
"You two need to talk to each other."
"No. I'm leaving."
Just like that Sasuke left Naruto in his house. He walked around the village and found himself in front of Sakura's apartment. It was already late in the evening but he knocked on the door anyway.
He had no intention of talking about what he had said to her. The truth was that he had planned on telling her how he felt and ask her to marry him but the timing got messed up. He had said it to her while she was drunk and he had never gotten the opportunity to ask her. The problem was that in his mind she was already like his wife and it came out, just like that. Now he was stuck because he didn't know when the time to ask her was right.
The door opened on a casually dressed Sakura. She blushed when she saw him and hid behind the door. Her head appeared in the door frame. He smiled at how adorable her reaction was. He had seen her asleep, out of the shower, fighting, drunk and dirty form a fight but she was embarrassed to be dressed casually in front of him.
"Sa-Sasuke, what are you doing here?"
"I didn't know where to go."
"Let me put on some proper clothes!"
"You don't have to." He walked in and sat on her sofa. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No, I was reading. Did you eat something?"
"Naruto brought me to Ichiraku. What are you reading?"
"Oh some boring book!" she sat by his side.
She was very fidgety and kept playing with her hair. She was trying to cover her face with it and she kept looking away from him. What was going on with her?
He grabbed her hair and moved it behind her ear. She purposely looked away.
"What is going on?"
"I'm not presentable right now, I don't want you to see me like that."
"There is nothing wrong with how you look." he was very confused about her reaction. Why was she so uncomfortable around him especially after all this time they had spent together.
She slowly turned her face towards him. It looked a little bit different. Her eyelashes seemed lighter, way lighter and her tiny freckles were a little bit more noticeable. She was pretty like that.
"Do you want something to drink?"
"A tea, please."
She stood up abruptly and he watched her walk towards the kitchen. Her movement were more mechanic than usual. He also realised that it was the first time he was seeing her entire legs. She was always wearing a skirt or shorts that weren't fitting but now she was wearing some sort of fitted trousers. She had pretty legs.
While waiting he noticed the new team 7 photo. It was standing amongst other frames of her and Ino, team 7, her parents or other people. She looked pretty on every single one of them.
He saw her coming back and she handed him the tea. He took it and drank a bit of it while she simply held her cup between her hands.
"If you want to keep reading I can go."
"No, no... stay."
They both looked at each other and for once he felt like he was the one controlling the situation.
His hand moved to her jumper and he grabbed it. That was his way of saying "you can come closer you want" but she didn't seem to understand it so he stupidly stayed with his hand on jumper. He was committed to it now. She was awfully quiet and he wondered if something had happened.
"I... I am going to fall asleep any minute now."
"What?"
"I took some herbs to sleep just before you got here. I can feel that I am getting tired. Just please stay." he nodded. "Can you lie down with me this time? But... really lie down with me?"
"On this?" he pointed at the sofa.
"I want to be close to you."
His heart started to beat faster. Was it the right time to ask her now? No, she was falling asleep. But was it right for him to be this close to her if they weren't married? He saw her eyes getting smaller. She was going to fall asleep any second now so he had to make a choice quickly. He froze and by the time he looked at her, she was already asleep.
Instinctively he grabbed her when she started to slowly slide on the sofa. He lay her down by his side after he had lay down. It wasn't the most comfortable position but her presence felt good.
"I am here."
He waited a while making sure that she was asleep. Her legs moved on top of his right one. She pushed them further under his left leg and climbed up on him a little bit more. The only noise was in the room was her breath. She moved her head up and a quiet sound came out of her mouth. It sounded like a little cat. He smiled and moved his arm under her head and played with her hair. He looked at the ceiling wondering if what he wanted to do was the right things to do.
His fingers started to move to her cheek. He caressed it unconsciously. If he did what he wanted to then there would be no coming back. He thought about it for a bit longer and decided that it was what he wanted.
He moved his right hand from her cheek to her chin. His fingers were shaky but he lifted her head towards him. He moved his face to hers and he softly kissed her on the lips.
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Finallyyyy!!!! The moment has come ahah
So guys I wasn't sure if Sasuke was actually able to do the Tsukuyomi but after some research I found out that The Official Naruto Databook states that Sasuke has access to Amaterasu, Susano'o and Tsukuyomi. Something like you can activate your Susano'o only if you have mastered both of the other techniques. Sooo yeah if he can't just imagined that he performed another genjutsu on her xx
I hope you enjoyed this chapter see you tomorrow xx